They weren’t crumbling like the heavenly bodies had crumbled into meteors. Rather, they were crumbling from the very source of their essence. They were decaying, and they eventually transformed into ashes. They lost all of their might.
Boom!
A palm landed, and it instantly sent plumes of dust into the sky. However, it couldn’t even hurt a single strand of Ling Han’s hair.
It was clear who had enjoyed the upper hand.
Ling Han had actively attacked during the previous exchange, and Hong Ma had suffered a minor wound to his hand. Meanwhile, Hong Ma had actively attacked this time, and Ling Han hadn’t been wounded at all.
There was still one strike remaining. If this exchange ended in a tie, Hong Ma would have no option but to admit defeat.
Hong Ma’s expression was extremely solemn. He hadn’t counted on his second strike being able to suppress Ling Han. However, in his plans, that strike should have fl.u.s.tered Ling Han, even if he were able to eventually block it. However, Ling Han had been far too calm and composed.
He had to unleash his true trump card. Otherwise, there was simply no way he could defeat Ling Han.
He shook his fly-whisk.
Weng!
Numerous divine patterns surprisingly lit up on the fly-whisk. As it turned out, this was also a precious treasure!
‘Pseudo-Saint Tool!’
Although Hong Ma was only at the Eternal River Tier, meaning that he was unable to take full advantage of a Pseudo-Saint Tool, he could still unleash might on par with the peak stage of the high extreme of the Eternal River Tier. With such overwhelming power, he refused to believe that he couldn’t suppress an elite at the low extreme of the Eternal River Tier.
[1] Logically speaking, Empress Luan Xing should be one of the eight, so one name is wrong. However, it’s unclear which.
His opponent had unleashed a trump card, so Ling Han didn’t dare to be careless.After all, Hong Ma was also a supreme king tier.
Ling Han unsheathed a sword. This wasn’t the Divine Demon Sword, but rather the broken wooden sword.
The Divine Demon Sword possessed a devastating destructive ability, with its murderous aura being able to penetrate one’s body. In fact, it was even powerful enough to instantly kill the Tranquil Heart Saint’s Ancient Azure Lotus. However, it was only a Level 11 G.o.d Tool. As such, it could only have one fate against a Pseudo-Saint Tool—to snap!
Thus, Ling Han decided that it was better to use this broken wooden sword. This was a precious treasure of the Netherworld, and although it was damaged, its foundation was still intact. It could definitely rival a Saint Tool.
A look of fury appeared on Hong Ma’s face when he saw Ling Han retrieve this broken wooden sword to block the attack of his Pseudo-Saint Tool.
‘Is he trying to insult me?’
He was enraged, and he instantly flicked his fly-whisk. Countless rays of white light shot toward Ling Han.
Ling Han used the broken wooden sword to carve a path forward. Numerous peculiar and uncanny symbols started to glow on the wooden sword, releasing a blood-red radiance that was suffused with killing intent. In fact, even the protective barrier around the arena was unable to prevent this aura from permeating outward. The eyes of the surrounding spectators became blood-red, and it was as if they had descended into the Dao of demons. Killing intent started to spread among the spectators.
“Da!” There was a soft roar, and this roar struck at the minds of the spectators.
The spectators shuddered as they escaped from the infectious aura of killing intent. They were all stunned.
Just then, they had all been filled with a powerful killing intent. All they had wanted to do was to kill to their heart’s content. They couldn’t care less about whom they killed. To say nothing of their fellow disciples, they would have even killed their own father or son without batting an eyelid.
This sword was far too sinister!
A large hand descended from the sky, transforming into a mountain-like ring as it enveloped the area above Ling Han and Hong Ma. This was an astonis.h.i.+ng technique, and it finally managed to prevent the killing intent of the broken wooden sword from seeping outward.
Ling Han’s entire body was shrouded in a black aura—the broken wooden sword had triggered the aura of the Demon Master that resided inside his body. This caused numerous black demonic patterns to appear on his forehead and face.
“It’s the Great Saint!” the spectators cried in astonishment.
There was only one person who was powerful enough to awaken everyone and drag them from the claws of the demon with a short roar. Moreover, he was also the only person who could blot out the heavens with his hand.
This was merely a battle between two cultivators at the low extreme of the Eternal River Tier, yet they had actually attracted the attention and action of a Great Saint! This was enough to signify the sinister and extraordinary nature of Ling Han’s broken wooden sword.
Hong Ma’s head had also become numb with fear. Just then, he had still been angry about Ling Han retrieving a broken wooden sword to insult him. Now, however, he wished that Ling Han could sheath his sword as soon as possible. In fact, it would be best if he never had to see that sword again.
It was far too sinister. Just looking at it was enough to make his hair stand on ends.
It was as if Ling Han had descended into the Dao of demons. However, his mind was still extremely pure and clear. He wasn’t affected by the demonic aura in the least.
Anyhow, the only difference between the Netherworld and the Immortal Realm was the Regulations of heaven and earth that they practiced. As for the other things… They were all the same.
Good and evil were wholly dependent on one’s mind. Their surrounding environment could only act as a catalyst.
“Come, let us battle!” Ling Han roared. He slashed at Hong Ma with the broken wooden sword, the might of the Lightning Sword Technique indescribably powerful when released through this supreme precious treasure.
Shua!
Imbued in this slash were the radiance of lightning, the flow of time, and a sea of blood. These had all originated from the blade of the broken wooden sword.
Boom!
The was a blinding explosion as the broken wooden sword collided with the fly-whisk. The spectators couldn’t help but screw their eyes shut. Fortunately, the Star Sand Saint had acted in time and reinforced the barrier around the arena. Otherwise, the arena would have definitely been obliterated by this exchange. If that had happened, the shock waves would have definitely wounded many more people.
When the light eventually vanished, the spectators saw that both Ling Han and Hong Ma were still standing tall and proud, not a single wound on their bodies.
Ling Han looked unchanged compared to his appearance before the battle. There was no more glow around his broken wooden sword, and it was still as broken as it had been before. It hadn’t been damaged any further.
As for Hong Ma?
There was also no wound on his body. However, his fly-whisk… Several strands of it had been broken!
Gasp!
That was a Pseudo-Saint Tool! Yet, it had actually been damaged? Although the strands of fiber were only adornments that possessed very little effect, the fact that they had been broken still spoke volumes about the previous exchange.
Hong Ma had lost the exchange again!
“Sigh!” Hong Ma wore a bitter expression as he shook his head and said, “I’ve lost.”
Ling Han nodded, and said, “It was a good battle.” He didn’t appear especially excited. After all, he hadn’t even unleashed his full power yet—he still had yet to activate the 10 killing formations inscribed inside his body. That was reserved for Gu Daoyi.
Hong Ma couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied. ‘I only lost by a small margin, so aren’t you acting a little too arrogant?’
However, a loss was a loss. They had reached an agreement beforehand, stating that they would determine the victor with three strikes. So, how could he eat his own words?
He humphed before waving his sleeves and walking away.
He would definitely win next time.
Ling Han smiled faintly as he left the arena. He was h.e.l.lbent on winning first place. This was for no other reason than to win the Saintly Origin.
A day pa.s.sed, and the top four were finally all confirmed. The following two battles would be the finals of the first and second brackets.
Ling Han’s opponent was Long Xiangyue, and Gu Daoyi’s opponent was Empress Luan Xing.
The battles began, and they were as intense as could be.
This was definitely a battle between dragons and tigers. All four of the remaining disciples were unfathomably powerful, and they were nothing like elites at the low extreme of the Eternal River Tier. Their battle prowess was already nearing the high extreme of the Eternal River Tier, and this was more so not the limit of their power.
Long Xiangyue possessed the bloodline of True Dragons, and she frequently took advantage of this to unleash bursts of dragon’s might. Perhaps this would be incredibly effective against Gu Daoyi and Empress Luan Xing, yet it was a shame that it was completely useless against Ling Han. She could only use this dragon’s might to defend herself. Otherwise, she would risk having her power be suppressed by two stars. If that were to occur, she would naturally be easily defeated by Ling Han.
However, this wasn’t her only trump card. She still possessed a dragon breath attack that was tremendously powerful. She could breathe out a column of black flames that could melt even G.o.dly metal of the same level!
However, it was a shame that she had come across Ling Han.
Ling Han had comprehended Rising From The Ashes by being bathed in immortal flames, and he more so had an ancestral flame inside his body, yet this woman was trying to use flames to wound him? What a funny joke!