Chapter 1103: Chapter 1102: Going Out of Business_1
The Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s hands were in a pushing motion, yet his palm strike collapsed prematurely like a punctured balloon. It wasn’t until that moment that the sound of sword whining resonated through the sky, belatedly.
"Broken through?"
The Falling Star Emperor almost shouted out loud.
He had never believed that Shi Xiaole would be defeated by "Ardent Heart." A person’s reputation followed them like a shadow, and if a renowned Kirin were to fall so easily, it would be a disservice to the Martial World’s praise of him. However, the Falling Star Emperor had never imagined that Shi Xiaole would break through in such a manner.
It wasn’t a killing move, nor did it require any great effort; he simply, effortlessly, and directly countered the other with a quick move.
"Though it seems simple, how many can possess such speed? All killing moves ultimately aim to defeat the opponent; the simpler it is, the more it proves the Kirin’s formidable strength!"
Snow Outstanding Emperor took a deep breath.
If he previously believed the Kirin had a thirty percent chance of winning, now, that chance had climbed to forty percent. He didn’t assume the Kirin was being arrogant by not even using the Cleansing Evil Sword.
Boom!
Before the crowd could overcome their astonishment, the spent Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s body erupted with raging flames. These flames quickly spread toward Shi Xiaole with such formidable force that they scorched dozens of layers into the very fabric of the void.
"Change encompasses all variables, and being struck early by the opponent is just one possibility. How, then, can you stop it?"
The Fiery Flame Child Emperor chanted a Buddhist mantra, immovable as a mountain. Layers of flames immediately engulfed Shi Xiaole, who had no choice but to fight like a trapped beast, to the collective cheers of the heroes from the Western Region.
But before their cheering could finish—
A sizzling sound was heard!
Out of nowhere, a long passage appeared in the sea of flames. At the end of the passage, Shi Xiaole, with a flick of his wrist, stabbed his sword toward the Fiery Flame Child Emperor.
Change does indeed encompass all variables, but what if it exceeds the limits of change? How can you then adapt? Shi Xiaole’s sword speed had increased by another ten percent from before.
The Fiery Flame Child Emperor swung his palm in defense, but his motion was somewhat hasty. As palm met finger, a surge of Vigorous Air erupted, lighting up the distant mountains and the sky with an intensity like the explosion of the universe.
The Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s figure was forced to retreat violently, only stabilizing ten thousand meters away. That was when the Shi Xiaole fighting like a cornered beast—and the sea of flames—vanished simultaneously. It turned out to be his afterimage left in place, his speed too fast for most onlookers to perceive the truth.
The Secret Sect’s lamas’ smiles froze. The Western Region’s heroes, who had been loudly cheering earlier, now wore embarrassed expressions, while the experts of the Flying Horse Dynasty erupted into laughter.
The young master from Heaven and Earth Surprised Swan Castle, Duanmu Qiangren, shouted ecstatically, "Brilliant! The Kirin has taken down the Western Region lamas in one fell swoop!"
Spurred on by him, some of the young talents, as well as some elite disciples from the Carefree Unmoving City, couldn’t help but join in the cheering. These people, barely in their twenties, practically grew up on the stories of the Kirin. How could they tolerate any slight or sacrilege against him?!
Unbeknownst to many, Shi Xiaole had already turned fifty, becoming the supreme idol in the hearts of the new generation of heroes in the Martial World, especially within the Flying Horse Dynasty, where eight in ten young people were admirers of the Kirin. Even though some set him as a target to surpass, they did not allow outsiders to outpace him.
"If this is the extent of your strength, then I am deeply disappointed. I had at least two opportunities to defeat you just now. Bring out your full power, perhaps things might get more interesting."
Instead of pressing the attack, Shi Xiaole uttered a statement that left the entire audience dumbfounded.
"He said he had two chances to defeat the Fiery Flame Child Emperor, really?"
"Ridiculous. Isn’t this kind of bluff humiliating if exposed?"
It wasn’t just the jeering crowd from the Western Region; even the experts of the Flying Horse Dynasty were skeptical of Shi Xiaole’s words since they were simply too outrageous.
After all, the Fiery Flame Child Emperor ranked ninetieth on the Emperor List, and his true strength was far greater. To defeat him so quickly, one would need the strength of someone in the top seventy. Shi Xiaole’s sword was fast, but it hadn’t seemed to be at that level.
What the outsiders didn’t know was that while Shi Xiaole’s sword speed was a threat, the greater danger was his vastly increased mental force. Paired together, they weren’t as simple as one plus one, and he had not yet fully utilized it.
Truth be told, Shi Xiaole was somewhat disappointed with the Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s performance. He longed for a battle of equals and a chance to break through his own limits—not to gain the upper hand the moment he got serious.
It’s lonely at the top—these words were hard for most to comprehend, but Shi Xiaole had long experienced this sentiment. How long had it been since he felt the exhilaration of combat? True friends are hard to find, and worthy opponents are even harder. Sometimes, only a rival can drive one to grow.
Perhaps the Martial Emperor’s appointment to duel the master of the Ghost Carriage was also for mutual affirmation and further advancement? Inexplicably, Shi Xiaole suddenly had this thought.
"Benefactor, just now I too was gauging you. Since this is the case, don’t blame me for being ruthless in my attack," said the Fiery Flame Child Emperor, his expression changing as two explosive flames ignited deep within his eyes, turning them into a frenzied deep red.
Dominating the Martial World and leading the Secret Sect back to its glory was the lifelong goal of the Fiery Flame Child Emperor. Being invincible among his peers was just one phase; he could not fail, he would not fail, he absolutely would not!
"Incinerate the body!"
The Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s body turned into a ball of fire, his form becoming indistinct within the flames. Within the blaze, numerous golden fire seeds danced and fluttered about like sprites.
Seeing this spectacle, not just Earthly Realm Martial Emperors or Human Realm Martial Emperors, but even the present Heaven Realm Martial Emperors felt a chill down to their bones. Only the top Heaven Realm Martial Emperors weathered it slightly better, and for most, the distance was great enough not to pose a threat.
Phut phut phut...
The fire seeds burst asunder, instantly filling the sky, and the countless warriors below felt as though the world had turned into a furnace, intent on incinerating them.
And Shi Xiaole, the target of the attack, was surrounded by the fire seeds first, which, with each of their explosions, caused vast stretches of the void to collapse.
"So powerful, this move’s lethality can at least grievously injure the experts ranked seventieth to eightieth on the Emperor List!"
Many Martial Emperors of the Emperor List inwardly exclaimed in shock.
"I can’t block this move."
This was a gray-haired elder whose mental message made several old friends standing beside him exchange looks.
The gray-clad odd elder, from the Western Sea Islands, happened to be ranked seventieth on the Emperor List.
"Go to hell!"
The Different-eyed Sword Emperor standing in the distance roared in his heart. Even the Sect Master, the Evil Sword Emperor, admitted that he could not block this attack; he refused to believe Shi Xiaole could easily resolve it.
On the Yan Family’s side, Yan Jicheng’s eyes shone profoundly. Not far from him, the Dark Night Proton of the Dark Sect clenched his fists tightly.
"Formless Sword!"
This move finally invigorated Shi Xiaole. He unleashed the Wind Sword Way at its peak, and countless Sword Qi crisscrossed through the fire seeds; with Shi Xiaole’s point of the sword, a sky-blue sword light pierced through heaven and earth, as if fabric torn and scorched by the fire seeds, but the fire seeds themselves were also being steadily consumed by the Sword Qi.
As he swung his right arm, Shi Xiaole extended his left hand, pointing two fingers towards the sky, and another burst of sky-blue Sword Qi shot out, curving towards the Fiery Flame Child Emperor.
The Fiery Flame Child Emperor hurriedly retaliated with his own Burn Body counter.
Boom boom boom.
Once, twice, thrice... By the fifth time, everyone’s eyes were wide open. Because the lethality of the Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s killing move was evidently weaker than before, which was normal.
What was abnormal was Shi Xiaole; after five consecutive killing moves, his Sword Qi attack showed no sign of diminishing. The consistency instilled fear in everyone’s heart. With such strength, he was certainly not as simple as the eighty-seventh on the Emperor List, definitely surpassing the seventieth.
"What a fortunate medium of Blood Yang he is; heaven has been too kind to this boy."
In a corner of the Endless Plains, a group of individuals in black clothes stood, with a woman wearing a black veil speaking; slight crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes could not hide the brightness in her eyes.
Next to her, Ren Mengzhen of the Secret Sect, the number one beauty of her sect, was silent.
She very much agreed with her master’s words. Shi Xiaole’s comprehension was recognized as unmatched, and he had obtained the medium of Blood Yang, making his Vigorous Air immensely powerful, practically without weakness.
However, even if given the chance to do it over, she would not regret planting the Blood Medium on Shi Xiaole. Without this connection, with her talents, she might not have reached the half-step to Void Origin Realm so quickly, and now she was merely a thin membrane away from the Void Origin Realm.
With his sword momentum always stable at a certain point, Shi Xiaole unleashed the Formless Sword for the seventh time, the sword light tearing through the fire seeds and sending the Fiery Flame Child Emperor flying.
"Didn’t you absorb the power of two great masters? Use it, or you won’t have a chance," Shi Xiaole said.
This statement, however, was like a slap fiercely striking the faces of the martial experts from the Western Region, especially the people from the Secret Sect, whose faces turned ashen.
Previously, they had fervently promoted the Fiery Flame Child Emperor, believing he had the qualifications to challenge Shi Xiaole for the position of the genius leader. But the sequence of events had utterly refuted their claims. From beginning to end, Shi Xiaole had almost completely dominated the fight, without even the need to draw his sword.
"The power of the great masters is also the power of our junior brother, don’t hesitate any longer, show us your true skills!"
Tuoxu Tuo’s face was somber as he shouted firmly.
Without needing his reminder, the Fiery Flame Child Emperor had already circulated all his strength. As he exerted himself, it appeared as though two barriers inside him were shattered, and two vigorous airs, vastly different from his own, filled his veins, merging with the Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s own Vigorous Air.
The most embarrassed and humiliated person today was none other than the Fiery Flame Child Emperor himself. Originally, he didn’t want to use the power of his great masters because that would inevitably give rise to gossip, and even if he won, there would be controversy.
But now, the Fiery Flame Child Emperor couldn’t care less. Those who wish to achieve great things must not sweat the small stuff. To fulfill his life’s ambition, he would stop at nothing to win today’s battle.
A surging, ancient aura, as if it could overturn the very heavens, made the Fiery Flame Child Emperor seem like a great chan master from the Secret Sect of ancient times. With every step he took, the world trembled, and by the seventh step, the void rippled in layers upon layers. Were this place not the Endless Risky Peak, perhaps more than half of those present would have been annihilated by his footsteps.
"My martial way, called Melting Fire, requires the use of Vigorous Air surpassing my own to unveil its true power," said the Fiery Flame Child Emperor, determined to salvage his face. He decided to use his strongest killing move, one strike to determine the universe! His Vigorous Air began to burn wildly, elevating his aura to an unfathomable peak.
Even the Soul Mountain Sword Demon, ranked sixty-eighth on the Emperor List, felt a series of chills.
"Demerit!"
A blaze detached from the Fiery Flame Child Emperor’s body, and at that moment, time and space seemed to freeze.
