Chapter 181: Cycle Battle, Start! (2)
Chapter 181: Cycle Battle, Start! (2)
"Huachi!" At the Ascension Gate, an official from the Azure Leaf faction spat out blood in shock. She was the first to fall in the War of Immortals, unable to withstand the consecutive assaults of the Fire God\'s Wraths and the Golden World Domination. The remaining four managed to escape the initial onslaught, jolting awake from the brutal start.
"Regroup! Assist each other with your spells!" You Qingzhi shouted desperately, his once righteously indignant demeanor now tainted with palpable dread. The strategies they\'d rehearsed before the battle were now utterly useless. Wasn\'t this supposed to be a four-protect-one strategy? Damn it, it felt more like one-protect-four!
Once the four Establishment Wind Fire Tribulation Realm prodigies regrouped and caught their breath, they unleashed every technique, magic treasure, and shield they had, putting up a commendable defense.
Hovering in the air, the young man in white looked down with eyes cold as ice. HUM! His azure Sword Soul burst forth, whirling and howling in the center of his palm. The piercing sound it made reverberated across the battlefield.
Five Sword Rings—One Emperor and Four Saints—and 250 layers of Sword Aura!
With the unveiling of that Sword Soul, just as predicted, the humans throughout the Heavenly Realm, after witnessing the grim fate of the Eternal Joy Demon Emperor, erupted in fervent cheers. Their united spirit surged to an all-time high.
A harmonious buzz sounded.
Five demon magics wound themselves around the Sword Soul—
Dragon Saint, Roaring Cloud Dragon
Fox Saint, Ghostly Blood Pool
Thunder Saint, Polar Thunder Strike
Eagle Saint, Skydome Tempest
The cloud dragon, the mysterious blood pool, the violet-crimson electric serpents, and the raging storm wrapped themselves around the Sword Soul, immensely amplifying its destructive power.
But the most terrifying of all was the death technique from the Eternal Joy Demon Emperor—Night March of a Hundred Ghosts! It was a soul-based ocular technique. As the Sword Ring began its rotation, it seemed as though ninety-nine bloody eyes materialized on Yun Xiao\'s Sword Soul. Each eye harbored a malevolent spirit. It earned the moniker Night March of a Hundred Ghosts because the Demon Emperor himself was the hundredth specter. And it was just as apt for Yun Xiao; he was an embodiment of lethal force.
It was arguably the most luxurious Sword Soul the Heavenly Realm had seen since the ancient wars between humans and demons.
With the Sword Soul in play and the demon magics lighting up the horizon, the excitement nearly overwhelmed the onlookers. "Damn, that\'s too cool!" one shouted. Good looks alone were ordinary. But combining them with prowess? That was scene-stealing.
From that moment, every young woman in the Heavenly Realm audience stood in unison.
Under the glow of that Sword Soul, You Qingzhi and his other three scholarly peers, who once fancied themselves as elegant and gifted, looked as insignificant as street rats.
"Kill him!" You Qingzhi, masking his shame, roared with a twisted face.
Yet, just as he spoke, and even before the Grand Temple\'s young prodigies could mobilize their spells and magic treasures, a Flying Sword, infused with the five demon magics, had already shot down from the heavens.
Admittedly, Yun Xiao still had room to grow in terms of cultivation. But his Sword Soul? It was a beast in its own league. What\'s more, he practiced both swordsmanship and daoist spells. An explosive combination!
As the Flying Sword soared, countless tendrils on the ground lashed out, shattering the protective shields of You Qingzhi and his compatriots in a heartbeat.
"It\'s the Constellation Slaying Sword, Meteor Shower!"
A sword, buried by the sands of time, was instantly recognized, sending shockwaves of amazement through the crowd. With a single stroke, the sword dazzled tenfold, reminiscent of falling stars. But which glint was real?
You Qingzhi growled, sweeping with the Mountain Measuring Ruler, a Galaxy grade magic treasure his father had lent him.
KLANG! The Sword Soul collided with the artifact, sending sparks flying.
"Argh!" You Qingzhi might have withstood the sword\'s force, but when the bewitching power of the Night March of a Hundred Ghosts mingled with the fury of the four other demon magics crashed into him, it sent chills down his spine. The horror overcame him, and his anguished screams filled the air. This was the demon magic of a Demon Emperor. What clung to the blade was the devilish power of an unrivaled being in the Demon Continent!
Darkness enveloped You Qingzhi. As the Mountain Measuring Ruler trembled above, it crushed down on him, splitting his skull wide open.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH! Yun Xiao\'s Flying Sword grazed the ruler, piercing through You Qingzhi\'s chest, leaving a gaping wound.
THUD! With eyes wide, You Qingzhi dropped to his knees, then fell face down. After a mere twitch, he lay still.
"Brother You!" The remaining three—Xia Jing, Ling Zhongxiao, and Mo Xuejin—were paralyzed with shock, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. They couldn\'t fathom how someone at the Immortal Meridian Realm could wield such terrifying power. Just a day earlier, Yun Xiao had only faced off against Kong Ming, who was merely at the Early Wind Fire Tribulation Realm...
"We surrender!"
THUD THUD THUD! Without hesitation, the trio quickly presented their War of Immortal Jades. But in the next moment, Yun Xiao recalled his Flying Sword and transformed it into a three-foot blade. He didn\'t hesitate and lunged at them with murderous intent.
Constellation Slaying Sword! Palm Sword, Streaking Comet!
With a flourish of his blade, Yun Xiao\'s three-foot azure blade transformed into a blazing comet. Its endless aura loomed ominously over the heads of the three surrendered fighters.
"Wha—?" Though they had ceased to fight, Yun Xiao unleashed his full might upon them. And so, with that single Streaking Comet, the three were swiftly and gruesomely reduced to dust, their remains scattering like confetti.
All that remained were three War of Immortal Jades and six stunned arms floating in mid-air.
And just like that, all five opponents met their demise.
"As long as my sword is swift enough, your cries of surrender will never reach another\'s ears!" Yun Xiao\'s fury was palpable. Treacherous creatures that betrayed their own kind for demons? Surrender?
While he despised the demons, he reserved a special brand of loathing for those akin to deceitful beings like Ye Tiance. Ye Tiance was but one man, limited in his schemes. However, these traitors and their lineage were the true masters of exploiting humanity throughout the ages. And to add insult to injury, they painted themselves as saintly figures, benevolent and moral.
Using morality as their weapon, they ostracized others. Such hypocrisy was the most revolting. So, any talk of surrender?
With a speed that betrayed his ferocity, Yun Xiao collected the three War of Immortal Jades and used his sword to scoop up the jade from You Qingzhi. He then skillfully extracted the jade embedded within the golden statue of Chai Huachi.
In no time, his number of War of Immortal Jades reached six, propelling him to the seventeenth rank on the Ascension Board.
Divine Dawn Immortal Empire - Yun Xiao: 6 pts!
"That was... unexpected," came the murmurs.
The entire duel was brief, but the spectacle it presented surpassed the audience\'s wildest imaginations.
Back on the Ascension Platform, Ye Qingtian, You Fengya, and Mu Tianshi simultaneously sank into their seats. They exchanged glances, their eyes bloodshot. They had been cautious, estimating their odds at six to four in their favor. Now, they found themselves wholly on the losing end.
Before any of them could utter a word, deafening cheers erupted throughout the Heavenly Realm. The name Yun Xiao resonated, echoing to the high heavens. The once revered Azure Leaf faction\'s glory was utterly trampled beneath his feet.
Who in their right mind would pine for the old dynasty?
“Was that a spectacle? Not sure, let’s watch again.”
No matter how many glances one took, the young man in white, brandishing his sword, continued to captivate the audience.
With the might of a lone warrior, he overshadowed the splendor of the entire battlefield. Even the dazzling duels happening in the Arena Champion Battle section seemed lackluster in comparison.
The roar persisted. Among those watching up close, Chen Jin and his companions stood frozen, as if turned to wood.
"What\'re you all gawking at? Join me, or else risk leaving here empty-handed," Yun Xiao turned and remarked with a wry smile.
"Dang, dang, dang..." Zhao Xiaotang burst into a string of curses, gripped Chen Jin and laughed uproariously, "Jin, we might just hit the jackpot!"
"Indeed..." Chen Jin, Stray Dog, and Nangong Xu found their eyes glowing with anticipation. Money, to them, wasn\'t the primary goal. What they sought were honor, revenge, and justice. With Yun Xiao leading, they\'d achieve it all. So, at that very moment, a fire was ignited in their eyes.
"According to the Cycle Battle rules, the quicker the victory, the faster the entry into the next battle! And the more War of Immortal Jades we can obtain!"
The formation beneath their feet started shifting. A new opponent would soon arrive.
Yun Xiao\'s eyes turned frosty as he surveyed the changing formation, murderous intent surging. "Theoretically, if we fight fast enough, most teams in the Cycle Battle will have to face us!"
So, that previous battle was just the beginning.
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To the left of the Ascension Platform, sat 108 Demon Saints. One by one, they focused intently on Yun Xiao, eyes bloodshot.
Each anguished wail from the Sword Rings was a stab at their very being. Bloody tears streamed down their faces. Their expressions grew increasingly grim. With a cold turn of their heads, they stared in the direction of the palace.
"Man and demon can coexist, but Divine Dawn must perish!"
As long as the Divine Dawn Empress was gone, Yun Xiao\'s fate was inconsequential.