Chapter 363: Chapter 362: Straight hit on the Ultimate Master of Spiritual-Passage Realm (2nd Update, asking for monthly passes!)
"Xiu Qing, the ’Fiery Fist Marquis’ Xiu Qing!"
The pupils of the Lingjian Sect’s elder shrank, subconsciously clutching his sword handle. Upon hearing this name, the hearts of other Lingjian Sect masters constricted, quietly mobilizing their internal power.
This was the third most powerful martial artist in the Fire Cloud State. His strength surpassed that of the current Sect Master of the Lingjian Sect. Ferocious and murderous, he has performed numerous killings owing merely to one word disagreement, instilling fear among both lawful and unscrupulous people.
"Bring it out."
Xiu Qing was in a bad mood.
He had been striving to understand the true essence of fire for over half a month. However, instead of gaining enlightenment, he had lost even the slightest inspiration he once had. And who knows when he would regain it.
A smoldering rage remained in his heart, unquenchable despite the numerous people he had killed in his path till now.
However, he had just noticed the Centennial Weapon Embryo in the hands of the Lingjian Sect’s elder.
Given Xiu Qing’s age and ability, he had exhausted most of his potential. It would be extremely difficult to further increase his personal strength. But if he could acquire a powerful weapon, then it would be different.
The first top martial artist of Fire Cloud State had dominated the first position for several decades, thanks to both his own talent and the contribution of his low-grade spiritual saber.
A low-grade spiritual weapon could at least increase the strength of a Spiritual-Passage Realm Master by 20 to 30 percent.
Xiu Qing was confident that if he could turn the Centennial Weapon Embryo acquired by the Lingjian Sect’s elder into a weapon, he would not hesitate to challenge the top martial artist of Fire Cloud State.
So, Xiu Qing was resolved to get the Centennial Weapon Embryo.
"Fiery Fist Marquis, this item belongs to the Lingjian Sect."
The Lingjian Sect’s elder stated resolutely.
"You will pay for your stupidity!"
With no patience for idle chatter, Xiu Qing unleashed a fierce punch shimmering with the aura of fiery fire upon hearing the elder’s refusal.
"Cloud Piercing Sword Method!"
The Lingjian Sect’s elder responded promptly with a swift sword attack.
Crack!
A burst of sparks exploded in all directions. The intense fist’s power, mingled with the scorching heat of the fire, penetrated the elder’s sword and rushed into his hand, prompting a drastic change in the elder’s expression.
Despite being a ninth level peak Spiritual-Passage Realm practitioner with a second-grade top-tier Cloud Piercing Internal Power and an 80 percent comprehension of the Cloud Piercing technique, he struggled to block Xiu Qing’s casual punch, a testimony to Xiu Qing’s stature as the third most powerful martial artist.
"Form the Cloud Piercing Array!"
The elder of the Lingjian Sect issued a stern command.
All Lingjian Sect masters present were already on high alert. Upon hearing this, they positioned themselves promptly. Each drew their swords. The invisible aura seemed like a giant cloud hanging above, engulfing Xiu Qing at the center.
Xiu Qing did not prevent them from deploying the Array System.
In a certain sense, he was eager for this. Otherwise, it would be quite challenging to completely annihilate everyone present, and the news of the Centennial Weapon Embryo was bound to leak out.
"Clouds Expanse in the Sky!"
The crowd shouted in unison and exhibited the same sword technique. The overlapping sword glows, imbued with an ethereal aura, abruptly disappeared halfway through their swing, only to reappear right before Xiu Qing’s eyes.
The Cloud Piercing Array, the most potent attacking Array System of the Lingjian Sect, could shake up a peak Spiritual-Passage Realm Master when formed by one hundred sixth-level Spiritual-Passage Realm experts.
What is a peak Spiritual-Passage Realm Master?
It refers to someone who has practiced a second-grade top-tier internal power to perfection, attained the ninth-level peak of the Spiritual-Passage Realm, comprehended at least one 100 percent technique, and realized a complete realm of martial arts.
Such people have nearly reached the limit in every aspect of the Spiritual-Passage Realm, and are thus known as peak masters.
Examples include the Tidal Waves Sword Marquis of Great Cold State, Red Charm Demon, etc., belonging to the so-called peak masters of the Spiritual-Passage Realm.
Xiu Qing’s fist technique, equivalent to the complete Sword Heart Realm, coupled with his complete understanding of the fire technique, his achievement, and the internal power he has cultivated, places him among the peak Spiritual-Passage Realm masters.
With the incoming Sword Qi, Xiu Qing let out a cold smile. With one fist going left and the other right, he struck out evenly.
The wild fist glow, under the stimulation of the fire technique, seemed like the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers technique. Each fragment of fire carried an indescribable destructive power, shattering the Sword Qi with a series of soft sounds.
The Cloud Piercing Array currently deployed by the Lingjian Sect was significantly weakened due to the limited number of people who were unevenly skilled, resulting in it achieving less than half of its potential power.
"Now, take my punch, Fiery Fire Torrent!"
Fearing that more things might crop up with time, Xiu Qing simply deployed his signature move – the Fiery Fist Technique.
As he threw a punch, the fist glow formed several fire rings. Wherever the fire rings passed, they caused deafening explosions in the air. Eventually, all the fire rings intersected and burst thunderously, turning the space within a radius of tens of feet into a sea of flames.
Screams started to rise.
Several Lingjian Sect masters flew backward bearing burn marks on their bodies.
"Is this the so-called peak master?"
Lu Lingxi, with her sword grounded, had shock written all over her face.
She had heard that a year ago, ’Yang Feng of the Lightning Blade’ had stood against a peak Spiritual-Passage Realm master without losing. She hadn’t been particularly impressed back then but was only now beginning to appreciate how amazing the feat actually was.
In comparison, herself, touted as the number one sword-genius, fell way short of the mark.
Perhaps even Shi Xiaole would be completely unable to receive this punch from the Fiery Fist Marquis.
Amid the chaos, the Lingjian Sect’s elder who had received the Centennial Weapon Embryo, darted towards the south, simultaneously setting off a firework flare to alert his fellow sect members nearby.
Regardless, he could not allow the Centennial Weapon Embryo to be seized by others.
"An old fool who doesn’t know what’s good for him."
Fiery flames erupted all over Xiu Qing, and with a sound of explosion, he swiftly moved dozens of meters away.
Although he didn’t have a second-class superior flying skill, his internal power was vigorous. In no time, he caught up with the Lingjian Sect elder, knocked him away with a punch, and reached for the box floating in mid-air.
Whoosh!
A stroke of sword Qi suddenly struck, forcing Xiu Qing to raise his fist to meet it. By the time he shattered the sword Qi, the floating box was swept up in a gust of wind from 10 meters away. The wind faded away to reveal a handsome figure in a green shirt.
"It’s him!"
Lu Lingxi was taken aback, not expecting to see Shi Xiaole in this situation.
"Kid, dare you snatch food from the jaws of a tiger, are you tired of living?"
Xiu Qing also recognized Shi Xiaole and immediately locked onto him with his qi. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He had a wary respect for Shi Xiaoler’s lightness skills. However, with a distance of 10 meters between them and his qi locking on to Shi Xiaole, he was confident that he could kill Shi Xiaole before he could escape.
"I’m not tired of living, but your fellow disciple, I have sent him to his grave."
Casually putting away the box, Shi Xiaole said with a faint smile.
He had learned from some people in the Martial World about Ma Dongming’s relationship with Xiu Qing. Plus, Xiu Qing’s deliberate attempt to frame him during the magma tide made Shi Xiaole keep a grudge.
It’s never too late for a gentleman to take revenge, even if it takes ten years.
Shi Xiaole was not a gentleman. If he lacked strength, this wouldn’t matter. But now that his strength had greatly improved, he needed a worthy opponent to test himself.
"You killed Ma Dongming? It seems that my punch was not hard enough when the lava tide erupted."
Xiu Qing dangerously narrowed his eyes, full of chilling killing intent. Had he known that this kid would be such a nuisance, he should have killed him then. Now, it’s not too late.
"Fiery Fire Torrent!"
The hot aura exploded, and Xiu Qing struck out with a fist, bringing along with it intersecting flares that completely enveloped the area where Shi Xiaole stood, filling even the air with flames.
The Redfire Sword was drawn, and Shi Xiaole’s first move was the Death Claiming Fourteenth Sword. Every ring of fire was shattered by the Sword Qi, making it impossible for anything to get close within three meters.
More rings of fire covered him, finally turning the place where Shi Xiaole stood into a small sea of fire.
In a blink of an eye, a stroke of Sword Qi slashed towards Xiu Qing from the sky.
Unknown to anyone, Shi Xiaole had escaped the reach of the punch using Wind God Leg.
"Low-grade Spiritual Sword!"
The Lingjian Sect Elder was shocked; he never expected Shi Xiaole to have a low-grade Spiritual Sword. But what surprised him more was the strength of Shi Xiaole. He not only withstood a move from the Fiery Fist Marquis, but also launched a counterattack.
"Fiery Fire is supreme, die for me!"
As if expecting this, Xiu Qing had already raised his fist to strike the moment the Sword Qi appeared.
A round of bright yellow flame appeared, like an upside-down bowl. The moment his fist collided with the Sword Qi, a cluster of sparks erupted. The sparks that fell on the surrounding ground and the surface of the volcano created several inch-deep holes. The destructive power was so strong that it made the high-ranking warriors of the Lingjian Sect look on in horror.
"Blocked it?"
Seeing Shi Xiaole fly backward without injury, Xiu Qing widened his eyes slightly.
It wasn’t surprising that the other party blocked his first punch. After all, it was a group attack and its power was inevitably scattered. But the power of the second punch was something that not even the top twenty fighters on the List of Wandering Warriors could withstand.
"His strength?"
Looking at a calm and even more magnificent Shi Xiaole, Lu Lingxi’s heart was trembling.
She couldn’t understand whether Shi Xiaole had been hiding his strength before, or if he had made great progress within this period of time?
If it was the former, where was his limit? If it was the latter, how could he have improved so much in less than a month?
Regardless of the truth, one thing would never change. Shi Xiaole was an unfathomable individual, far beyond her comprehension.
Comparing him to ’Lightning Blade’ Yang Feng, he didn’t seem inferior at all. After all, Yang Feng’s opponent a year ago did not rank as high in the List of Wandering Warriors as the Fiery Fist Marquis did.
"It seems I underestimated you, this punch will directly kill you, Flame Breaker!"
With a push from the soles of his feet, Xiu Qing shot towards Shi Xiaole like an arrow. Halfway there, his hands violently swung, releasing numerous intense fist shadows, making the surroundings feel like a furnace. Sand and stone softened due to the heat, and sparks scattered everywhere.
The Lingjian Sect experts who were ten meters away couldn’t avoid it in time. Many were directly invaded by the fire, damaging their hearts and lungs, and causing them to vomit blood. Even the blood they vomited was steaming hot.
This was a unique skill exhibited by Xiu Qing after harnessing all his skills, which injured several experts just by its residual force.
The space where Shi Xiaole stood was violently rippling due to the intense heat, giving a surreal feeling like a reflection in water or a mirage in a mirror when looked at from outside.
"Get out of here!"
The elder of the Lingjian Sect shouted to the others.
It wasn’t that he was selfish and disregarded Shi Xiaole’s life or death. But Fiery Fist Marquis was just too strong, and their staying could lead to more deaths. They were better off looking for reinforcements to take revenge.
In the midst of the intense heat, Shi Xiaole stood aloof, his black hair fluttering, and his eyes calm. He was like a lone, proud swordsman who remained undisturbed despite the circumstances. He slowly, yet swiftly, executed a sword strike.
With the release of the sword, a violent red Sword Qi dominated the world, carrying an unprecedented fierce will, as if intending to destroy everything. The warped space along the way was instantly smoothed out, and the intense heat seemed like cheese, ruthlessly crushed all the way by the Sword Qi.
