by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
The Overlord Legion members were overjoyed, and they started splitting the blood devil vine. The few remaining roots were also shared among them, and not a single vine was left behind. After all, the vines were also precious materials. It would be a waste to leave them behind.
Just like that, the pitiful blood devil vine was cleanly harvested, leaving nothing behind.
Xiang Shaoyun wanted to go take a look at the immortal dead tree as well, but he found that the tree was also under assault by numerous disciples. The essence of the tree, the dead trunk, had also been harvested by none other than Ye Linshan the Green Youth. After obtaining the trunk, he quickly vanished from everyone's vision.
At this time, a loud rumble sounded from the cave under the gorge. It turned out that the intense battle inside had actually destroyed the entire cave. Before the shockwaves had even dispersed, a terrifying concentration of lightning bolts started raining down from the sky.
At first, Xiang Shaoyun thought they were lightning bolts summoned by Lei Bao. But he soon found that they were actually silver lightning bolts. Only then did he recall that Money was still inside the cave. He was probably attempting a breakthrough.
"Damnable snake. You're actually breaking through now? I'll kill you!" roared Zhan Wushuang, who was furious after his battle was interrupted. He then launched a punch at Money, who was in the midst of a breakthrough.
The powerful fist rumbled forward like a torrent of pure unstoppable power. As Money was in the midst of a breakthrough, he had no way of stopping the punch. He was heavily struck and was sent flying away.
"Bastard! You dare harm my brother? Die!" Xiang Shaoyun roared in fury.
Chapter 871: Fighting Zhan Wushuang Fairly
Xiang Shaoyun did not intend to provoke too many powerful enemies, but Zhan Wushuang had actually attacked Money. He couldn't let that slide. In any case, the Crushing Sky had been attacking the Overlord Legion members before this as well. With the old and the new grudges adding up together, he could no longer sit still.
But just as he was about to make his move, the lightning bolts actually started bombarding Zhan Wushuang. One ought to know that the breakthrough of a demonic beast could not be interrupted. And Zhan Wushuang had done just that. Thus, the heavenly tribulation had included him as a target alongside Money.
Xiang Shaoyun could have waited and let Zhan Wushuang be attacked by the lightning bolts. However, he dove right in without any hesitation, swapped his Radiant Saint Sword with the Overlord Skyslaying Saber, and slashed at Zhan Wushuang.
At this time, all the other disciples had stopped battling due to the heavenly tribulation. When they saw Xiang Shaoyun diving right into the midst of the rain of lightning, their eyes widened in shock.
That was a lightning tribulation of an Emperor! Few of them would dare to face a tribulation of this level directly.
"Xiang Shaoyun actually dares to challenge Zhan Wushuang? Is he seeking death?" said Yu Ziyang with a sneer after pulling some distance from Ouyang Chuanqi.
Ouyang Chuanqi frowned and was worried over Xiang Shaoyun. He was no longer in the mood to continue fighting.
On the other hand, Lei Bao roared with laughter, "Hahaha, Brother Shaoyun, that is truly domineering. From now on, you're my friend!"
Lei Bao had long found Zhan Wushuang an eyesore. His previous battle with Zhan Wushuang had been interrupted before a victor was decided, but he had still sensed that there was a gap between him and Zhan Wushuang. When he saw Xiang Shaoyun having the courage to challenge Zhan Wushuang, his opinion of Xiang Shaoyun increased.
As for Baili Yixiao, he sheathed his sword and looked at Xiang Shaoyun with an amused expression, as though he was waiting to see just how special this genius with a top-grade physique was.
Zhan Wushuang had attacked Money because he had truly been infuriated. He did not even care about the lightning tribulation, and one could say that his overbearingness had truly reached an overwhelming level.
With his pair of gold fists, he punched the lightning bolts around him apart. The lightning bolts were unable to harm him.
He sensed Xiang Shaoyun's approach immediately, and a look of derision flashed in his arrogant eyes as he said, "Even a clown like you is trying to step on me? You overestimate yourself."
Wolf Breaker!
Faced with the rain of lightning saber energies unleashed by Xiang Shaoyun, Zhan Wushuang punched, launching a wolf forward. The punch was extremely dreadful, instantly blasting numerous lightning bolts into nothingness.
This was Zhan Wushuang's punch, a punch containing an intense battle intent and fist intent. His battle intent was unparalleled, and his fist intent was unequaled.
Zhan Wushuang had always believed that the two were all he needed to reach the peak of strength. Relying on his unyielding spirit and his valiant fists, he walked his very own path to absolute strength.
The punch blasted Xiang Shaoyun's lightning attack into nothingness and sent him flying away. It was at that moment that Xiang Shaoyun fully comprehended what Ouyang Chuanqi had meant when he said he couldn't even survive five of Zhan Wushuang's punches.
Xiang Shaoyun finally believed that Zhan Wushuang was truly that strong. It was no wonder even Ouyang Chuanqi had to retreat in the face of Zhan Wushuang.
But the stronger Zhan Wushuang was, the more Xiang Shaoyun's warlike blood boiled. At this moment, his past life's warlike character reawakened. A domineering aura that would strengthen the stronger his opponent was covered his entire body as he roared in excitement, "A fine punch! This overlord shall have a fair fight with you!"
After saying that, he actually kept away his Radiant Saint Armor, intending to have a fair fight. In the eyes of others, this was an act of suicide.
"Has Xiang Shaoyun gone mad?" Xiao Xie cursed.
He once fought Xiang Shaoyun. Although Xiang Shaoyun had been improving rapidly, he did not believe that Xiang Shaoyun was strong enough to contend with Zhan Wushuang. At the very least, he had to first reach the ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm.
"Truly suicidal," Long Shi sneered.
Han Chenfei started worrying. She rushed toward Ouyang Chuanqi and said, "Brother Ouyang, let's work together and help the overlord."
Ouyang Chuanqi shook his head and said with a smile, "We can't stop this, nor should we try. In any case, the overlord might not lose."
"The overlord is still two stages lower. It's too dangerous for him to challenge Zhan Wushuang," said Han Chenfei anxiously.
"That is his choice. We only need to watch," replied Ouyang Chuanqi.
At this time, Xiang Shaoyun had launched another attack at Zhan Wushuang. His Overlord Skyslaying Saber flew out and slashed at Zhan Wushuang.
Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique, fourth stance, Complete Destruction!
Xiang Shaoyun had regained the combat experience of his previous life when the Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique was his signature technique. Thus, the technique now came much more naturally to him.
He was using the fourth stance for the first time. Numerous lightning bolts rained down, working together with the lightning tribulation to create a devastating concentration of lightning bolts that rained down at Zhan Wushuang. The lightning bolts were thick with saber intent and seemed capable of eliminating all living beings.
If Xiang Shaoyun relied only on his lightning star and lightning bone, he would not be able to stand against Zhan Wushuang. But with the assistance of lightning profundity and the lightning tribulation, it was an entirely different story.
With Xiang Shaoyun fully displaying the destructiveness of lightning, who would dare to face him? Even Zhan Wushuang frowned at the sight of the incoming attack. He could feel a sense of danger, and without any hesitation, he punched.
Heaven Smasher!
His fist intent had reached late second stage, making his punches extremely powerful, as though he was going to smash apart even the blue dome of heaven. Who could stop his fist? Not even the fury of lightning could!<
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Rumble! Rumble!
The two attacks clashed, creating a terrifying shockwave. The lightning tribulation continued, sending bolts of lightning down ceaselessly. It was as if a calamity had descended upon the world, and anyone faced with this calamity would find themselves fearful.
The surrounding disciples withdrew far away, not daring to approach the battlefield. Only a small number of them dared to continue observing the battle nearby.
Everyone had thought that Xiang Shaoyun would be instantly killed, but looking at the numerous clashes between the purple saber energies and the golden fist energies, they realized that Xiang Shaoyun wasn't as weak as they had thought. Rather, he was strong enough to match Zhan Wushuang. It caused them all to be dumbstruck.
"What a terrifying battle. I thought Xiang Shaoyun cultivates nine powers? How can he fight Zhan Wushuang with only a single star?"
"Since Xiang Shaoyun is not afraid of the lightning tribulation, it is obvious he also has an Innate Lightning Physique. But even so, that is still not enough to block Zhan Wushuang's attacks. Has he grown stronger with the lightning tribulation's assistance?"
"I believe so. Without the lightning tribulation's assistance, I'm afraid Xiang Shaoyun would not be Zhan Wushuang's match."
"Keep watching. I have a feeling there is more to Xiang Shaoyun than we had thought."
Chapter 872: Severing Mountains and Rivers
Han Chenfei, who had been worried over Xiang Shaoyun, widened her eyes in shock at what she saw. Her mouth was wide agape, a look of absolute disbelief hanging on her face. Although she was confident Xiang Shaoyun would be an individual at the top of the Dragon Phoenix List in the future, she had never believed that he was already at that level. The valiant combat prowess Xiang Shaoyun was displaying felt unreal to her.
Apart from her, Ouyang Chuanqi, Yu Ziyang, Xiao Xie, Long Shi, and the others were also overwhelmed with shock. They were all elites among elites with endless potential. But if they were being honest, they definitely couldn't battle Zhan Wushuang when they were two stages lower than him, and that was precisely what Xiang Shaoyun was doing. None of them had any confidence to face Zhan Wushuang without the same cultivation level.
Furthermore, Xiang Shaoyun was 10 years younger than Zhan Wushuang. If he was given 10 more years to cultivate, what would happen? They did not even dare to imagine how strong he would be.
A smile formed on Baili Yixiao's face as he said, "Truly worthy of being the owner of a top-grade physique."
When the Sword Society members heard Baili Yixiao's praise, they all looked at Xiang Shaoyun with envy. One ought to know that although their society master looked amiable and approachable all the time, he rarely praised anyone. It was an honor for Xiang Shaoyun to be able to win his praise.
On the battlefield, Xiang Shaoyun made use of his speed to approach Zhan Wushuang, intending to deal a finishing blow. However, a terrifying burst of power erupted from Zhan Wushuang's body and blocked the slash with layers of gold radiance.
Indestructible Avatar!
That was a high-grade battle technique, Zhan Wushuang's strongest defensive technique. Seeing that his attack had failed to hit, Xiang Shaoyun wanted to pull back. But how would Zhan Wushuang allow him to move in and out as he wished? A punch shot out from an angle Xiang Shaoyun had not expected, aiming for his lower rib.
Zhan Wushuang's fist was incredibly domineering. It looked like a completely ordinary punch, yet the fist intent it exuded seemed to be everywhere. Xiang Shaoyun failed to dodge the attack and was blasted away.
Ignoring the lightning tribulation, Zhan Wushuang pushed on and roared, "You dare to challenge me just by borrowing the power of some lightning tribulation? Your audacity!"
He arrived before Xiang Shaoyun and sent a punch toward Xiang Shaoyun's head, evidently trying to kill his audacious opponent then and there. Xiang Shaoyun had suffered a rather serious injury from the previous punch. The fist intent was way too scary as it had actually badly damaged his internal organs.
Phantom Shift!
The moment the second punch came, Xiang Shaoyun unhesitatingly used the secret technique he had learned from the Holy Hall, instantly moving away from the attack. It caught Zhan Wushuang by surprise, and Xiang Shaoyun then instantly appeared at his flank, his saber lashing out again.
Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique, fifth stance, Severing Mountains and Rivers!
Xiang Shaoyun pushed his saber intent to its limit and finally reached the second stage. It might look like he was gripping his saber in hand, but in truth, he wasn't holding the saber. His hand and the saber were only connected through an energy connection, allowing him to enter the human saber unity state and the saber steering phase.
As he used the fifth stance, the lightning in the sky grew even more berserk. It filled the sky as lightning bolts as thick as buckets poured down on them. The saber energy cleaved forward with a might capable of splitting mountains and rivers. It was as though the very world was shaking at the might of his slash.
This was an attack totally capable of matching a second-stage or even a third-stage Soul Foundation Realm expert.
The gap between seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm and third-stage Soul Foundation Realm might seem small, but in truth, it was a gap of an entire cultivation realm and could not be measured in stages. There was a saying that a single realm was akin to an entire world, so an Emperor was a world apart from a Sovereign. Even a peak Emperor capable of fighting a first-stage Sovereign would come to be known as an ultimate genius. Thus, Xiang Shaoyun had just accomplished an extremely freakish feat.
And yet, before someone like Zhan Wushuang, Xiang Shaoyun's attack still couldn't threaten him. After all, Zhan Wushuang possessed combat prowess comparable to a fourth-stage or even a fifth-stage Soul Foundation Realm expert. However, Xiang Shaoyun's Phantom Shift had disoriented him, forcing him to rely only on his defense to deal with the incoming attack since he couldn't do anything else in time.
Indestructible Avatar!
A brilliant golden radiance flowed across the surface of his skin, making him look like a golden statue as he bathed in the endless torrent of lightning. Xiang Shaoyun's Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique was definitely no pushover, and the power of lightning was known as the most destructive power. Relying on the terrifying prowess of the lightning tribulation's final stage, the attack finally broke the Indestructible Avatar.
Zhan Wushuang was submerged in an endless ocean of lightning that had, in fact, deepened the gorge. Broken rocks flew about; even more turned into fine powder.
The disciples were all alarmed. They had no doubt that if they were the ones faced with this attack, they would die.
"The lightning tribulation has never been something an average person can survive. And yet Xiang Shaoyun is like a fish in water amid the tribulation. Furthermore, he can even borrow the might of the tribulation to attack Zhan Wushuang. This is too scary."
"Is this Xiang Shaoyun's real strength? He has only used his lightning star. What if he uses all his stars?"
"Zhan Wushuang won't be defeated just like this, right? If so, won't the second spot on the Dragon Phoenix List be Xiang Shaoyun's?"
"Heh, you really think Zhan Wushuang is called the Unrivaled Fist for nothing? Just watch. He won't go down so easily."
...
Under Xiang Shaoyun's barrage of attacks, apart from a deep crater, numerous saber cuts were also left in their surroundings. Each cut exuded thick saber intent, transforming the battlefield into a place where the academy's future generations could come and cultivate.
By the time the technique ended, Xiang Shaoyun looked exhausted. It was clear he had overexerted himself this time.
As for Money, he finally completed his breakthrough, making an astonishing jump from the fifth stage to the ninth stage, becoming a dreadful Demon Emperor. He exuded a thick draconic aura that felt extremely terrifying. He had also undergone a massive physical transformation.
D
raconic scales now ran through his body, and four draconic limbs had grown out of his serpentine body. His serpentine head increasingly resembled a draconic head, and someone who had never seen a true dragon would probably think of him as a true dragon.
Chapter 873: Let Me Deal With This Kid
Money had always cultivated silently. It wasn't that he did not enjoy fighting, but he had never been too strong. If he got overly aggressive, he could die easily.
After years of silent cultivation and the numerous fortuitous encounters he had obtained by Xiang Shaoyun's side, his cultivation finally showed results, propelling him into becoming a ninth-stage Demon Emperor. Relying on his evolution into a true dragon, his combat prowess had reached a level comparable to any of these genius disciples.
After all, the true dragons were an extremely powerful race. Money possessed a mutated bloodline and an incomparably powerful lightning affinity that granted him a rather significant strength.
When Lei Bao saw how close Money was to a dragon now, a look of yearning covered his eyes as he praised, "What a fine dragon snake. I believe it now possesses half a dragon's bloodline and is on the verge of becoming a true dragon."
Lei Bao once set his sights on Money as well, but he ultimately decided against that. But when he looked at Money again, he was filled with envy. Even if Money was stuck at this form forever and couldn't become a true dragon, his current bloodline power was enough to make him a remarkable demonic beast with an exceedingly bright future.
The other disciples also noticed the same thing, and they all exclaimed in astonishment. Of course, they were envious as well, but they also knew that there were things that they just wouldn't be able to get.
Before Xiang Shaoyun could even feel joy on behalf of Money, a bright golden radiance burst out of the crater, and Zhan Wushuang charged out. Clearly, he had not been defeated.
A few cuts were visible on his body, and a rather large amount of blood could be seen on his body. He looked somewhat sorry, but the aura he exuded had grown instead of weakened, shocking everyone.