The Raging Wind Shuttle was effortlessly dodged by Ji Mingkong using her Dance of the Sky technique, grazing her chest and striking the protective barrier, leaving several cracks.
Having evaded the attack, Ji Mingkong didn’t pause. With a flicker of her form, she capitalised on her dodging momentum, her slender sword flashing green as it thrust toward Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao refused to be dominated, just as she refused to let him gain the upper hand.
Their battle was a relentless exchange, neither willing to relent. Unless one defeated the other, stopping seemed impossible.
As she counterattacked, Ling Xiao wasn’t idle either.
The Raging Wind Sword vanished, replaced by the Thunder Shadow Sword in his left hand.
“Thunder Flash!”
On the darkened stage, a bolt of lightning erupted.
The Thunder Shadow Sword in his left hand resonated with the Purple Lightning Sword in his right, amplifying Thunder Flash’s power.
In that instant, a large gap tore through the darkness.
Many anxious spectators in the stands finally saw clearly.
Though only for a moment, they grasped the concept: Ling Xiao and the Saintess were locked in an even match.
The sudden thunderbolt sent Ji Mingkong, who had lunged forward, staggering back several steps.
But with her strength and the Nature Dragon Armour’s defence, the attack merely disrupted her assault, achieving little else.
Both were formidable warriors.
In battles between equals, victory was hard to determine because their skills and cultivation were so close.
Ling Xiao hadn’t expected Thunder Flash to win the fight; his goal was to suppress Ji Mingkong, preventing her from unleashing her techniques.
The moment he repelled her, Ling Xiao pressed forward, launching a chain of attacks.
His aggressive onslaught was like a whirlwind, relentlessly striking without giving Ji Mingkong a moment to breathe.
Ji Mingkong realised that the loss of vision and hearing had no effect on Ling Xiao.
So she stopped wasting Tianyuan energy, dispelling the darkness on the stage and focusing on countering Ling Xiao’s relentless, tidal wave-like attacks.
Ling Xiao excelled in swordsmanship, adept at both close and mid-range combat, giving him no disadvantage in attack range, unlike Ji Mingkong.
The clash of metal echoed incessantly on the stage.
Ling Xiao’s figure was barely visible, only afterimages flickering.
Ji Mingkong, defending at her utmost speed, kept pace.
To spectators with weaker eyesight, it was just two blurs entwined, nothing more.
Yet the cracks appearing on the stage and protective barrier heightened the tension for those unable to follow the fight.
Their battle had reached a fever pitch, like boiling water erupting in steam, their wildly unleashed Tianyuan energy.
Green and black-gold lights intertwined, their speed escalating further.
In the sky, the images of two divine dragons clashed relentlessly.
Higher still, two clouds of different colours vied for dominance.
Watching this, the disciples of the twelve sects were stunned.
Were these really warriors under twenty?
Shouldn’t such battles be reserved for inner sect elders?
The Saintess was expected to be invincible among the younger generation.
But what about Ling Xiao?
Initially seen as a dark horse, he turned out to be a formidable boss.
Those who had called Ling Xiao’s challenge to Ji Mingkong reckless now wore embarrassed expressions.
Compared to Ling Xiao, they were less than worthless.
“Damn it!” Qin Bixue fumed, wanting to spit blood, yet he had to admit that only Ling Xiao could face the Saintess Ji Mingkong without yielding, even holding a steady advantage.
Ling Xiao had defeated him with only Heavenly Pulse cultivation.
“Is this even human?” Hong Li gaped. She had planned to train at the Blue Water Divine Palace and later challenge Ling Xiao.
Now, she realised how naive and laughable that was.
Given the same time, Ling Xiao would only grow stronger than her.
“Mother, that’s Sister Yuling’s senior brother. No wonder she refused to leave the Moonflower Sect and return with us,” Dai Yaoling said. She had discussed returning to the Elixir Manor with Dai Yuling, but Yuling refused.
She was content at the Moonflower Sect, with her protective master Lan Yuer, Ling Xiao who would risk his life for her, and her adorable junior brother Leng Hao. She couldn’t just leave.
Dai Yuling’s eyes were fixed on the battle.
Many were so engrossed in the intense fight that they forgot to breathe.
Fortunately, as skilled warriors, they could survive without breathing for a while. Ordinary people would have suffocated.
Though many had hoped Ling Xiao could challenge Ji Mingkong, none expected him to be this ferocious, matching her blow for blow.
No, not matching—he was steadily overpowering her with every move.
Was this real?
Were their eyes deceiving them?
Naturally, the tension and disbelief weren’t limited to the ordinary warriors in the stands.
As Ji Mingkong unleashed her finest techniques without gaining any advantage, Sikong Zun and the Saint Emperor’s expressions grew darker.
Ji Mingkong had used everything, even her Nature Dragon Soul and Heavenly Mechanism Martial Soul, yet couldn’t harm Ling Xiao in the slightest.
It was unbelievable.
Normally, if Ji Mingkong attacked like this, even an opponent a full realm higher, at the Three-Talent Heaven stage, would struggle to resist.
Yet Ling Xiao, facing such an onslaught, handled it effortlessly, unscathed.
If no one had witnessed this fight, no one would believe Ling Xiao’s claims.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the stage as the two figures parted, each retreating over ten steps before stopping.
Both had agile movement techniques, so neither fell.
But when they emerged, fully visible to the crowd, many were stunned.
This battle was truly brutal.
Their speed had been too fast to follow, but now, paused, it was clear both were in a sorry state.
