The eerie interplay of black and white light brought immense mental pressure on the fox spirit.
She let out a scream and fainted on the spot.
“Pathetic!”
Ling Xiao sneered disdainfully. Defeating her with just the pressure of his Mountains and Rivers Will was almost too easy.
“How did she lose?”
The onlookers were utterly baffled.
The fox spirit had attacked Ling Xiao, yet she was the one who screamed and collapsed as if losing control.
“What happened?”
Not only were the spectators confused, but even the Leech Heavenly Venerable couldn’t make sense of it. This fox spirit could catch him off guard, and while he wouldn’t lose, defeating her shouldn’t have been so effortless.
“Could it be a soul technique?”
The Leech Heavenly Venerable, well-experienced, quickly suspected Ling Xiao possessed a soul technique stronger than the fox spirit’s.
In terms of soul strength, once countered, defeat came swiftly. Unlike inner strength, where a weaker opponent might still escape or turn the tables, soul strength offered no such chance.
Realising this, the Leech Heavenly Venerable donned a strange collar.
“Kid, I didn’t expect you to be a soul strength master. No wonder you easily defeated my subordinate. But your good days are over!”
The collar was designed to resist soul strength. It couldn’t fully block it but could certainly weaken its power.
In his view, Ling Xiao’s strength lay solely in soul techniques. Neutralise that, and defeating him would be child’s play.
“Too much talk!”
Ling Xiao said calmly, “If you don’t make a move, I will!”
“Looking for death!”
The Leech Heavenly Venerable snorted, lunging at Ling Xiao. His hands wore eerie gloves, neither gold nor silver, but a chilling blood-red, terrifying to behold.
Even more fearsome was his mid-air grab, like an eagle swooping on its prey, exuding intense menace.
“Leng Mei, stay back and watch for sneak attacks from those cowards. Leave this guy to me.”
Ling Xiao’s upcoming opponent, the Blood Skeleton, was also at early Five Elements Heaven, just like the Leech Heavenly Venerable.
He wanted to test himself against the Leech Heavenly Venerable to gauge the strength of an early Five Elements Heaven martial artist.
Boom!
The Scarlet Sun Cone shot out, clashing with the Leech Heavenly Venerable’s blood claws mid-air, unleashing a violent gust that shattered nearby rocks.
“What! He blocked it!”
The onlookers swallowed hard, tense. They had thought Ling Xiao stood no chance against the Leech Heavenly Venerable.
But now, it seemed they had underestimated this human youth, who effortlessly intercepted the attack.
“Damn it! How is he so strong?”
Ximen Bo seethed, itching with frustration. He’d hoped to see Ling Xiao humiliated, not displaying such prowess—an outcome worse than swallowing a needle.
“Kid, not bad, but that was just a test. Let’s see if you can block this!”
The Leech Heavenly Venerable was shocked too.
In his anger, blood-red claw shadows assaulted Ling Xiao, each strike stronger and fiercer, filling the air with countless crimson claws.
He refused to believe a mere early Three Talents Heaven martial artist could withstand so many attacks.
Boom, boom, boom…
The sounds of energy collisions rang out continuously.
The ground was pockmarked with craters from the blasts, yet the Leech Heavenly Venerable couldn’t get within three metres of Ling Xiao.
Each time, the Scarlet Sun Cone blocked him.
Each time, he failed.
“Hmph, all reputation and no substance. You call yourself the boss of Circle Two?”
Ling Xiao snorted, “I’ve had enough fun. My turn!”
He flicked both hands.
The Scarlet Sun Cone and Shadow Cone shot toward the Leech Heavenly Venerable.
“You attack? So what? If I can’t touch you, you can’t touch me!”
The Leech Heavenly Venerable could only see the Scarlet Sun Cone, not the Shadow Cone.
He thought Ling Xiao couldn’t harm him.
Confidently, he swung his sharp blood claws at the Scarlet Sun Cone, familiar with it from the earlier barrage.
Boom!
Another fierce collision.
He easily blocked the Scarlet Sun Cone.
“Hahaha, kid, you—”
His triumphant words were cut short by a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw a fist-sized blood hole.
“Impossible!”
He couldn’t understand. He’d blocked the Scarlet Sun Cone, so how was he injured?
“Nothing’s impossible. People focus on what’s in front of them, forgetting danger often lurks where they can’t see.”
Ling Xiao smiled calmly.
But inwardly, he was astounded.
The combined Light and Shadow Mysteries were terrifying, not just in power but in catching enemies off guard.
“The Leech Heavenly Venerable was actually defeated!”
“Who is this kid?”
“Shh, keep it down. Don’t let him hear. Anyone who dares take on the Leech Heavenly Venerable isn’t ordinary. Don’t catch his attention.”
Circle Two’s martial artists had seen many challenge the Leech Heavenly Venerable, some even among themselves.
But without exception, all failed.
Some died gruesomely.
Others became his lackeys.
Yet Ling Xiao shattered the myth of the Leech Heavenly Venerable’s invincibility, completely reshaping Circle Two’s dynamics.
Ximen Bo knelt on the ground, his mouth dry.
He and Ling Xiao had chosen opposite paths against the Leech Heavenly Venerable.
He grovelled, offering Tianyuan Crystals.
Ling Xiao defeated him, becoming Circle Two’s new boss.
The contrast burned Ximen Bo with jealousy and resentment.
“Circle Two’s order is really changing. I wonder what this kid will do after defeating the Leech Heavenly Venerable. Will he be even harsher?”
Though the martial artists saw the Leech Heavenly Venerable fall, they remained uneasy.
They didn’t know what kind of person Ling Xiao was.
“Hand over your storage rings now, and I’ll spare your lives!”
After killing the Leech Heavenly Venerable, Ling Xiao didn’t forget their Tianyuan Crystals.
Though low-grade Tianyuan Crystals were less effective for him now, quantity could make up for quality.
