Chapter 958: Chapter 957: Who Competes with the Edge_1
From the exchange of blows to Yan Yuchai’s admission of defeat, it seemed like a brief discourse, but in reality, it took only a few moments. The crowd stared blankly as the bridge of light dissipated.
"We have underestimated the young emperor."
Purple Wood Sword Emperor habitually stroked his beard as he spoke with a chuckle.
In such a short time, to defeat a top-tier Human Realm Martial Emperor, it was clear that Shi Xiaole’s strength had significantly increased from before, at least much stronger than he had previously shown.
It should be so. How could someone capable of breaking the rules, possessing dual martial paths, be inferior to those with Selfless Sacred Bones?
The previous underestimation probably stemmed from the fact that Shi Xiaole’s potential lay in his understanding, which has always been an elusive thing, unlike the reliability of the Selfless Sacred Bones.
"Whether we have underestimated him or not will soon be revealed. For the Kirin, only a battle with Wudao Xuan can truly test his mettle,"
Lotus Sword Emperor said indifferently.
"Let us wait and see."
Qizheng Martial Emperor was in a good mood.
Yet, Helian Duba’s face had turned ashen. He thought he would have an opportunity for revenge, but the recent battle showed him that the gap between him and Shi Xiaole hadn’t narrowed. In fact, it had widened even further.
Why? Why could this kid improve so fast? How unjust the heavens are!
"I hope your luck is good enough."
On the third floor of Heaven Asura Tower, Wudao Xuan retracted his gaze. For him, Shi Xiaole was no different from the others; they were all enemies he intended to defeat.
The fourth battle.
The contenders were the Eight Arms Emperor and the Yinyang Martial Emperor. Recalling Yan Si’s fate, the Eight Arms Emperor shuddered and straightforwardly conceded defeat.
The Yinyang Martial Emperor was known to be more brutal and deceitful than the Qingyuan Sword Emperor, and those who dueled him were said to end up dead or maimed.
"You know what’s good for you."
The tall and slender Yinyang Martial Emperor had an androgynous voice and appearance, blurring the lines of gender, but no one dared to discuss it openly, at most silently slander in their minds.
The fifth battle.
"What terrible luck!"
"It’s a pity for Wudao Xuan."
As people saw the two individuals on the bridge of light, many shook their heads in regret.
Based on the previous rounds, one could predict the upcoming battles, but the reality of it was still disheartening.
Wudao Xuan’s opponent was none other than one of the five great masters present, ranked alongside the Qingyuan Sword Emperor, the Yinyang Martial Emperor, and the Earth Destroyer Knife Emperor, the Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor.
His Heaven Asura Tower was also one of the five top-tier towers.
"I acknowledge your talent, but do you not concede?"
The Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at his opponent. He was dressed in coarse clothes and looked ordinary, even a bit ugly, unlike a powerful figure of the Martial World, appearing more like a crude butcher on the streets.
However, the murderous and threatening aura that radiated from his bones was enough to send chills down the spine of anyone present, daunting even to those with slightly weaker resolve.
Wudao Xuan emanated a warm aura that cut through the gloom like the sun through shadow, undisturbed and smiling said, "The only way someone can make me admit defeat in this world is by defeating me. The person who can make me surrender without a fight has yet to be born."
The Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor was taken aback before his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Fine, I hope you can still maintain your laughable pride when you’re lying on the ground."
No sooner had the words fallen than a tangible aura of black and red surged out, spreading out from the sides of the bridge of light extending fifty thousand meters out, looking from afar like a rectangular lid had been added to the bridge of light.
People’s visions began to distort, and an uncontrollable emotion called fear arose from within them.
"An eleven percent mid-phase Blood Asura Martial Path, this guy has absorbed the essence of Heaven Asura Tower and made a breakthrough,"
said the Earth Destroyer Knife Emperor, stroking the blade in front of him on the fourth floor of the Divine Blade Tower, his brow furrowed.
Most Human Realm Martial Emperors’ martial realms fluctuate around ten to eleven percent, with the weaker ones at the later stages of ten percent to peak, while top-tier Human Realm Martial Emperors generally start at eleven percent’s early phase.
Despite seeming like only a small realm separates the mid-phase from the early phase of eleven percent, one must understand that once the martial path exceeds ten percent, it goes beyond perfection, reaching the ultimate.
On this basis, each small advancement is extremely difficult, requiring countless refinements and realizations. For a Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor, it is not an exaggeration to spend hundreds of years advancing a single minor level in their martial path.
As an acquaintance of the Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor and understanding each other well, even he would feel some pressure when suddenly faced with the coercive Blood Asura Martial Path, not to mention others.
Of course, he had also improved and was not afraid of the Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor, but Wudao Xuan’s provocation might not bode well for his fate.
Atop the bridge of light.
Wudao Xuan’s figure was obscured by the Blood Asura energy, leaving only a vague outline, as his own aura was tightly clamped within his body, struggling to break free.
"Seven Slaughter: Man Not as Good as Dog!"
In a detached, stern shout, a pitch-black fist, hundreds of meters in size, smashed through the Blood Asura energy and headed straight for Wudao Xuan, bringing silence to heaven and earth.
Even those standing a hundred thousand meters away, including the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors who had been eliminated earlier, felt their hair stand on end. Faced with that punch, they feared they would be able to use at most eighty percent of their strength.
"He couldn’t possibly fail to catch even the first move, could he?" said the Thunderbolt Martial Emperor, his mouth twitching.
As his thoughts were turning, he heard a muffled thud!
One kilometer away from Wudao Xuan, a mountain peak in the form of void loomed abruptly. A pitch-black giant fist smashed it into pieces, but its own strength was diminished, its speed greatly reduced. It had just pierced through the mountain when a powerful wave struck, followed by falling rocks, Flowing Rain, hillslopes, and so on.
When it was just five hundred meters away from Wudao Xuan, the pitch-black giant fist completely disintegrated.
At that moment.
The raging energy of blood and evil centered on a certain point, was suddenly torn apart brutally. Another energy, ever-changing and magnanimously upright, stretched along the tear intensively, quickly forming a tripartite confrontation with the energy of blood and evil.
Within this force, Wudao Xuan stood indifferently, bathed in an aura of grandeur, as if a son of Heaven, detached from the mundane world.
"What, what is this...?"
"Complete, mid-stage natural martial arts, he has actually reached this level?"
Feeling the nature energy that matched the blood and evil energy, everyone present was agitated, their words unable to express the shock in their hearts.
Natural martial arts, it’s a genuinely semi-Supreme martial arts. The difficulty in comprehending it is more than double that of top martial arts, but accordingly, mid-stage natural martial arts could rival the mid-stage top martial arts at eleventh completion.
Wudao Xuan, all things considered, was said to be only fifty-three years old. To have elevated natural martial arts to such a level at that age, how were others supposed to live?
Especially some people, who secretly compared Wudao Xuan from half a year ago, were appalled by the speed of his progression and gained a deeper understanding of the terror of the Selfless Sacred Bone.
Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor’s eyes widened, and it took a while for him to come to his senses, "No wonder you’re so arrogant. However, what does it matter if your martial arts have improved? You’re still going to lose, Seven Slaughter—’Life is as Thin as Paper’!"
As his body surged forward, a torrent of evil energy in the palm of Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor coalesced into a black and red wide blade and furiously slashed at Wudao Xuan.
"Boundless Mountains and Seas!"
Wudao Xuan met the challenge with his bare palms. Above the vortex of tremendous force, images of mountain ranges formed, seemingly representing the junctures of Heaven and Earth.
Boom...
The bridge of light shook.
"Birds Worshiping the Phoenix!"
The sound hadn’t even spread when a phoenix swooping down with a beat of its wings, dove towards Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor. Every single feather of the phoenix carried the energy of the great natural path. As it passed, even the void trembled, and its oppressive power overshadowed the heavens.
Step by step.
Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor retreated three steps, his whole skeleton cracking like frying beans—not because he was outmatched but as a tactical withdrawal. When his last step landed, blood clouds appeared all over his body, as pores opened wide.
"Seven Slaughter—’Blood Prison Open!’"
After absorbing the blood and evil energy, those blood clouds turned into ferocious demons that rushed out from Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor’s body, tearing at the phoenix, ripping it apart.
Thud!
Without the strange phenomena dissipating, two figures clashed again—with their moves faster than the crowd could visually follow.
This was an earth-shattering great battle.
One was a young prodigy with a commanding presence in the great era, and the other, a well-known veteran fighter. Both exhibited extraordinary moves, fighting from one end to the other, now with the storm and lightning breaking the bloodthirsty beasts, now with clanging murderous aura dispersing mountains and rivers, the sun and the moon. Everywhere was a trace of their figures.
The crowd watched, entranced yet secretly fearful. If they were to take the place of either combatant, they likely couldn’t withstand the barrage of attacks.
"Seven Slaughter—’Heavens Collapse, Earth Shatters!’"
As the battle reached its climax, Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor’s hair scattered, his clothes turned to rags, but his fists became ever bloodier, raising a sky-high mist of blood.
Under this punch, the sky and earth turned crimson. Everything lost its meaning, leaving only blood and slaughter.
"That is one of Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor’s moves, ranked twenty-second on the human list."
The beating of everyone’s hearts nearly stopped, knowing that this blood battle was approaching its final juncture. Who would emerge victorious?
Along with the vast power that invaded Wudao Xuan’s body, there was also a bone-chilling evil killing intent capable of shattering the spiritual sea of an ordinary Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor.
But at this moment, this evil killing intent nourished Wudao Xuan instead, becoming his spiritual power; his punching force transformed into a spring breeze revolving around him.
"All Things Herald Spring."
Nature, all-encompassing, whether it be evil or light, is but a part of its whole. Wudao Xuan seemed like a child of nature walking the earth, exuding an unparalleled charm as he swung his fist forward.
Clang!
Blood mist splattered.
In wide-eyed disbelief, Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor’s chest caved in, liver fragments spewed ceaselessly from his mouth. He was knocked all the way to the end of the bridge of light, then rebounded onto the surface, unable to get up for a long while, doing nothing but spitting out blood.
"It seems you have lost."
Wudao Xuan looked down calmly.
Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor’s body swayed, unable to speak, his eyes filled with shock, awe, and even a hint of fear that refused to dissipate.
Two beams of light appeared, but this time, the one entering the Heaven Asura Tower was Wudao Xuan.
"This child, unbeatable among his peers, might even compete with Qingyuan Sword Emperor."
Qizheng Martial Emperor murmured to himself.
