Chapter 659: 658
"Our speculation was correct. He had indeed studied the martial arts of the spiritual path before,"
The people on Ninth Elder’s side revealed looks that said, "As expected."
There is no true intent in the Spiritual Path. While this concept was mentioned by previous outsiders, it was also explained that martial arts and spiritual arts could not be integrated.
Therefore, it was instinctive for the Yiling Clan to think that the eye-dagger with an illusionary aura was a powerful spiritual martial art that had reached the premium first-class level.
"As long as one’s will is firm, what can illusionary techniques do to me?"
Floating amidst the Illusion Sea, Gao Kun opened his eyes. With a single movement of his eyes, he ripped apart all illusions. His left hand extended forward and the sky suddenly darkened.
Over Shi Xiaole’s head, a giant hand appeared which obscured the sky. An overbearing spiritual breath permeated from the hand, making it hard for people to take a breath.
This was a premium first-class spiritual martial art, the Sky-Blocking Hand.
"Impressive!"
Shi Xiaole had read about this martial art from the bamboo slips that Qi Sina had given him. He was sure that the power of the move Gao Kun had executed was more than twice as strong as the description on the bamboo slips.
This signified that Gao Kun’s spirit quality far surpassed that of the Yiling Clan ancestor who had created the move.
Shi Xiaole didn’t dodge. There wasn’t enough time, and he hadn’t been able to practice Flying Skill type spiritual martial arts. Speed was not his forte.
With both hands clenched into fists, Shi Xiaole finally executed the Severing Air Fist.
"He’s facing a premium first-class palm skill with a lower first-class fist technique, has Shi Xiaole lost his mind?"
"He’s overestimating his abilities!"
When the power between the spirits is not significantly different, the grade of martial arts greatly impacts the power of the move. As far as spirit power is concerned, Shi Xiaole cannot triumph over Gao Kun. Hence, he is undoubtedly bound to lose under this blow.
The elders of Seventh Elder’s camp felt as though they could already see Shi Xiaole being knocked down, and their hearts greatly relaxed.
Boom!
As expected, the fist energy was shattered. However, immediately after, a second burst of fist energy surged out, directly assaulting the palm of the giant hand.
"It is useless."
Qi Sina shook her head.
Just as her words fell, the second wave of fist light was mercilessly crushed. But who could’ve thought that a beam of spirit light would suddenly shoot out from the middle? Upon closer inspection, it was the fist light but it had been reduced in size several times.
Because the fist light was very solid, it was causing a clattering sound under the impact of the spirit forces as if countless giant rocks were rolling down — fierce and majestic.
Boom...
Following that, the fist light embedded itself into the giant hand. Even though the light had dimmed considerably, it still shot towards Gao Kun at a high speed.
"What?!"
Qi Sina was exceedingly shocked.
People around her were equally incredulous.
Shi Xiaole had already shown his compression technique, but they didn’t think that his limit wasn’t just once, but twice. Could the Severing Air Fist really be used in such a manner?
Seeing the fist light approaching him, Gao Kun brushed it off casually, turning it into smoke and dust. Finally, excitement showed on his face, "I can feel that your spirit power is not any weaker than mine. But being able to utilize your potential to such a level, you’re worth going all out against."
At the same time, Shi Xiaole easily dodged the reduced imposing giant hand, as he said, "You’re worth going all out against too."
All the people present were dumbstruck.
They couldn’t understand how Shi Xiaole had managed to withstand the Sky-Blocking Hand, especially in such an imaginative way. What was even more astonishing were Gao Kun’s words; he said Shi Xiaole’s spirit power was not weaker than his own. Did this mean that the talent of this outsider also surpassed that of the Three-Flower Ancestor?
It can’t be possible!
However, judging from their expressions and words, it was clear that they regarded each other as worthy opponents. This couldn’t be faked.
"How can it be, how can it be..."
Han Bolin muttered to himself.
Who was Gao Kun? He had a superior attitude, and he barely paid any attention to Qi Sina. But now, he was praising Shi Xiaole like this. Han Bolin’s mind was a chaos and he instinctively looked at Qi Sina on his side.
The color of Qi Sina’s face was changing between white and green, her sleeve slightly trembling. At a certain moment, she took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I am indeed inferior to them."
Whether it was the Sky-Blocking Hand or Severing Air Fist, the probability of her blocking them would not exceed 40% and it was clear that both of them were not exerting their full strength.
Remembering that two years ago she was comfortably ahead of Gao Kun, but now she was left far behind by him, Qi Sina was unhappy. Perhaps, this was the elegance of the top talent in history.
Thinking about this, she couldn’t help looking at Shi Xiaole again. This outsider who seemed to share the stage on equal terms with Gao Kun was actually so unfathomable that she had even misjudged him.
On the field.
The two prodigies of the spiritual path were observing each other.
"Qiankun Rotation!"
A profound layer of spiritual aura emanated from Gao Kun’s deep, hollow eyes. It enveloped him, making him seem as if he had detached from this world. His body was merely a shell, a reflection of another world.
Unknowingly, in the sky, strings of spirit threads had appeared, densely intertwining to form a cube of three meters in size.
With the spin of the cube, Shi Xiaole’s spirit also got pulled into it involuntarily.
"Now he’s really getting serious."
The Seventh Elder said with a slight smile.
From the beginning, he had never really worried for Gao Kun.
After all, the Qiankun Eye has thirteen levels, each corresponding to a terrifying supreme technique, and different people drawing on it result in varying degrees of power.
For instance, despite his excellent talent, the Seventh Elder using the first level of the Qiankun Eye couldn’t generate a power that’s even a third as strong as Gao Kun’s.
The genius unleashing the first supreme technique, the Seventh Elder couldn’t fathom a reason for Gao Kun’s failure.
"Is this the Qiankun Eye?"
Having been in the Yiling Clan for a month, Shi Xiaole naturally has heard of this legendary martial art. Unfortunately, he isn’t a direct descendent and hence has no right to practice it.
Just by looking at the first move, Shi Xiaole was certain, this martial art surely reached first-class levels, even could be far beyond that. After all, the thirteen levels correspond to thirteen supreme techniques. If the first technique is this powerful, who knows about the rest?
Not daring to be negligent, Shi Xiaole instantly pushed his spiritual power to the limit. A layer of brilliantly radiant spiritual light suddenly seeped out from his body, causing eye pain to everyone surrounding him due to the intense brightness, severely unsettling their spiritual seas.
"His spiritual power is incredibly strong?!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Those who previously held doubts all had their worries dispelled. Under Shi Xiaole’s spiritual light, they felt utterly powerless to resist, desiring only to kneel and submit.
"This is my territory, it’s not your place to show off."
Without any delay, another spiritual power that pierced the heavens erupted from Gao Kun’s body, standing off against Shi Xiaole’s spiritual power.
Two forces of spiritual power intertwined, clashed, collided, neither giving way to the other, forming two clearly distinguished, bizarre worlds.
The cubic block spinning in the sky started revolving faster, countless threads drilled into Shi Xiaole, striving to pull him out and strip his spiritual force to assimilate it.
This pulling force was so strong that even Shi Xiaole felt he couldn’t keep steady.
"With the same spiritual power, Young Master Shi has never cultivated any first-class supreme spiritual techniques. He’s at a great disadvantage."
The Ninth Elder’s pupils shrunk slightly.
Not just him, anyone present could see that Shi Xiaole was at a disadvantage. Bit by bit, invisible yet real spiritual power was corroding right out from his pores, following the threads into the cubical block.
At the critical moment, a thick grey light surrounded Shi Xiaole. After being drawn, it flowed continuously into the cubic block.
Shockingly, this grey light seemed inexhaustible. At one moment, an odd sizzling sound was emitted from inside the cubic block.
Immediately after, people saw it being corroded, revealing a big hole from which the grey light gushed out again.
"What kind of technique is this?"
Many people shouted, unable to comprehend.
The leader of the Yiling Clan, the Three Eyes Ancestor, slightly lifted his blurred eyes, a hint of surprise flashed past fast.
Of course, the people present were unaware that this grey light was the spirited power infused with Life and Death True Intent, corroding foes with the breath of death, then transforming death aura into life aura, thereby cycling back and forth, endless.
Driven to desperation, Shi Xiaole simultaneously projected Life and Death True Intent and the spiritual power.
Although the two hadn’t fused yet, there’s no doubt that the combination of Supreme True Intent and the intermediate realm of the Divine Barrier spiritual powers still had significantly shocking effects.
"Interesting, Reverse Qiankun!"
Gao Kun sneered, and the cubic block vanished.
Behind him appeared a spiritual torrent that, upon one glance, made Shi Xiaole feel as if he was going to return to the past, his spiritual power within his body along with it, shrinking and deteriorating.
This tactic also absorbed opponents’ spiritual powers, but it was much more sophisticated than the previous one. Even the Divine Barrier Experts, whose vigours had been suppressed here, would suffer as well.
"Gao Kun, worthy to be known as our clan’s top prodigy. In just twenty-four years, he has explored the essence of the Qiankun Eye to this degree, hahaha..."
A few old members of the Yiling Clan laughed heartily, feeling a surge of excitement and pride.
With Gao Kun’s potential, there is hope of fully mastering the thirteenth level of the Qiankun Eye. When that time comes, he’ll lead the Yiling Clan to break through the realm, gaining respect from all over the world!
Forcefully stopping in his tracks, Shi Xiaole pushed the Life and Death True Intent to the limit, sending out waves of grey sword beams which quickly drenched the spiritual flows.
At one moment there was the sound of rushing waters, the next a splashing sound.
Between the two, the vast spiritual power warped into a transparent twist, twisting and turning, finally engulfing the entire 1-kilometer-wide battle platform, creating an illusion of a world of water, blurring everyone’s senses.
"Surrender, you’re not my opponent. If this continues, you’ll only damage your own spiritual power."
Gao Kun was like a high and mighty king, cold and ruthless, radiating an irrefutable dignity. The spiritual torrent behind him grew more and more rushed, gradually swallowing and suppressing the grey sword beams.
The Life and Death True Intent and spiritual power, after all, were two distinct forces. They’re already unable to withstand the second move of Qiankun Eye unless they could fuse.
However, wanting to fuse them is as difficult as comprehending the Heart Thunder Sword. Frankly speaking, up to this point, even Shi Xiaole himself didn’t know how he comprehended the Heart Thunder Sword.
"I’ll give you one last chance, I don’t want to hurt you."
Gao Kun looked indifferent. Everyone was surprised to hear a tinge of cherishing talent in his voice.
Surrender?
Since he entered the stage, Shi Xiaole had never lost to an opponent of the same level. He recognized that Gao Kun now has the strength to shake him, but whether for the sake of a victory or the system mission, Shi Xiaole wouldn’t voluntarily give up.
"I have a sword to present, please enlighten me."
