novelraw Chapter 145 - 143: This Is the True Style of a Master’s Finale
Chapter 145 - 143: This Is the True Style of a Master’s Finale
"If you lot are willing to become my disciples, I can spare your lives. Together, we will shake the world!"
"Why don’t you take a good look at yourself!" Anx Dao of the Lingyin Four Tigers couldn’t help but curse.
"You killed my junior brother. Even if you had ten lives, it wouldn’t be enough to pay for what you’ve done!" Mingren said coldly.
Wan Gu Master burst out laughing, his expression turning grim. "A bunch of ignorant little brats. So what if your Elders came? What could they do to me!"
"Go!"
With a low shout from Mingren, all five of them attacked at once. Five beams of sword light slashed toward Wan Gu Master simultaneously. A cold sneer touched Wan Gu Master’s lips as he waved his hands, unleashing a surge of Elemental Power that directly intercepted the Sword Qi.
"The light of a firefly daring to compete with the splendor of the moon. You overestimate yourselves!"
Against opponents of this level, he didn’t even need to use Magic. His pure Elemental Power alone gave him an overwhelming advantage.
Liu Xiao was also deliberately showing off for Zhou Qian. He pressed down with his surging Elemental Power, and the Lingyin Four Tigers clearly felt their movements stutter. Confidence was a good thing, but the gap in strength was undeniable.
Mingren fared better; his gaze merely grew sharper.
"Tian’Er, once the fight starts, you go rescue Hu Jing and the others first," Wang Meng whispered. Ma Tian’Er immediately nodded. The surging Elemental Power was making it hard for her to breathe.
It was at times like this that the difference in strength became apparent. Faced with such pressure, Li Tianyi, on the contrary, seemed to ignite. His eyes shone brightly, as if they were about to glow.
Mingren grew even more composed. "Anx Dao, you and the others fall back and provide support!"
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"Tianyi, Junior Brother Wang, the three of us will take on this old monster!"
"Alright, I’ll take the lead!"
Li Tianyi could no longer hold back. Liu Xiao was furious. ’These young upstarts are truly on another level of ignorance,’ he thought. But in the next instant, a stream of Sword Qi was already upon him.
SWISH...
A lock of severed hair drifted away on the wind. Li Tianyi’s Elemental Power was slightly weaker than that of the Lingyin Four Tigers, but its might was in a completely different league. The true essence of a Sword Technique was the killing power born from channeling Sixteenth-Layer Elemental Power through a complex Life Mark Combination.
Now *that* was a Sword Cultivator. As for those Blood Soul Hall disciples who just blasted their Elemental Power out raw—they were worse than Body Cultivators.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
One Sword Slash after another flared to life, cutting through the dim space toward Wan Gu Master. Liu Xiao was both shocked and enraged. ’How can someone so young have such a profound understanding of Sword Techniques? If he’s given time to grow, he’ll be unstoppable!’
"Die!"
He flung his long sleeve, blasting out a formidable wave of Elemental Power. At the same time, a pitch-black claw shot out from within it.
"Netherworld Ghost Hand!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The Sword Qi was completely blocked by the Ghost Claw. Facing the incoming crimson Elemental Power, Li Tianyi shifted to the side. His entire frame seemed to stretch taller, like a Treasure Sword drawn from its sheath—the kind of presence that only grows stronger when faced with a powerful foe.
Kill!
The Lihuo Sword did not dodge or evade. Its light blazed forth as Li Tianyi unleashed all his Elemental Power in a slash imbued with an unparalleled dominance, as if declaring he alone was supreme in all of heaven and earth.
It directly tore through the incoming Elemental Power.
BOOM...
Li Tianyi stood proudly, showing no fear in the face of Elemental Power more than twice as strong as his own.
Just then, Mingren entered the fray. As a master who consistently ranked among the top three in the Holy Hall, his usual cheerful, smiling demeanor often made people forget his true strength.
And who was Mingren?
He was the number one master of Talisman and Sword Dual Proficiency.
SHH! SHH! SHH! Three "Difficult Stride" Talismans shot out, two of them aimed to lead the target’s movements.
The sword in his right hand was already a streak of brilliant light, striking straight for the heart of the enemy.
Many Sects disliked complex Sword Techniques, their Elemental Power output often relying on just a few simple combinations. They preferred to pursue breakthroughs in their cultivation realm and enhance their Elemental Power, believing that time spent on intricate Sword Techniques was better used simply increasing their power.
The more complex the Sword Technique, the slower the execution. But they forgot one thing: practice makes perfect!
A true master can never afford to cut corners.
These Low-Level Talismans couldn’t restrict Liu Xiao’s movements, but they did make him uncomfortable. The most crucial part was that these youngsters’ attacks showed an intent to control the flow of battle, which made him both incredibly furious and frustrated.
He blasted out the Netherworld Ghost Hand.
BOOM...
Mingren’s Sword Qi was blasted apart. In a head-on collision, he was still no match for an old fiend like Liu Xiao, who had cultivated for a hundred years.
Just as the Netherworld Ghost Hand was about to seize Mingren’s sword and Wan Gu Master prepared to exert his power, Mingren abruptly pulled back, flipping into a handstand. In that inverted instant, a Bursting Fire Talisman from his left hand shot straight for Wan Gu Master’s face.
The Heart Techniques and Life Mark conversions for using Sword Techniques and Talismans are completely different. Using them poorly makes one a "jack of all trades, master of none"—a complete joke. But Mingren could truly multitask, switching between the two with ease.
BANG...
Wan Gu Master was hit directly. Although he wasn’t injured, the rage in his heart flared. He instantly thrust out both hands, sending two Netherworld Ghost Hands grabbing for Mingren. Mingren used the force to yank his sword free and float away, spinning back with another Sword Slash.
Wan Gu Master blocked it with a Ghost Claw. ’This kid is close to the Twentieth Layer. He’s the most troublesome one.’
"Take this!"
It was Wang Meng’s voice. Wan Gu Master was absolutely furious. ’A little brat at the Fifteenth Layer, wielding a fucking piece of junk he probably picked up off the street.’
A Netherworld Ghost Hand shot toward Wang Meng’s head. He was going to rip his opponent’s brains out.
Wang Meng wasn’t particularly fast. He simply charged forward. The Broken Heaven Edge suddenly flipped and slashed sideways. The Netherworld Ghost Hand howled and dissipated, and Wang Meng was already in front of Wan Gu Master.
Kill—!
The Broken Heaven Edge glowed with a strange red light. Flames suddenly erupted from it as a powerful slash hurtled toward Wan Gu Master.
Liu Xiao was shocked and hastily dodged, only to realize he had dodged too early. Wang Meng’s sword was only just arriving.
’What a fucking idiot!’ Wan Gu Master cursed inwardly and waved a hand to block.
SWISH... Blood flew.
The Broken Heaven Edge plunged directly into Wan Gu Master’s inhuman palm, splattering dark-colored blood.
BOOM...
A surge of Elemental Power rushed at Wang Meng, but he still didn’t retreat. He was as unmoving as a mountain, as steadfast as the earth itself.
The Broken Heaven Edge slashed again and again, forcibly cleaving through the powerful Elemental Power. And at that moment, Li Tianyi’s long-prepared Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword arrived.
The ultimate technique of the Li Family was not something just anyone could block.
Liu Xiao was terrified. Frankly, at his level, he wasn’t even qualified to witness the Li Family’s ultimate technique. Forget about facing Li Xiuwen; if he ran into a Li Family Elder, death would be his only fate.
The surging Sword Qi tore through the sky, its splendor beyond description. After his fight with Wang Meng, Li Tianyi’s Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword had improved by leaps and bounds. His control over it was more fluid, its power more piercing.
Moreover, the Li Family’s Sword Technique only revealed its true power when it was used to kill.
In an instant, he shot out four Netherworld Ghost Hands in an attempt to block the Sword Qi, but they were shattered after only a moment’s delay. It was only because Li Tianyi’s Elemental Power was insufficient; otherwise, the attack would have been enough to dismember his enemy.
Liu Xiao transformed into a black mist and vanished without a trace. The Sword Qi whizzed through the walls, and Liu Xiao’s maniacal laughter echoed throughout the ruins.
"You ignorant little brats dared to offend me! I’ll let you have a taste of true power!"
BZZZZ...
The entire sky darkened, plunging the already gloomy ruins into pitch-black darkness, faintly tinged with a blood-red hue. It was as if the Gate of Hell had opened, and waves of Torture Qi surged up from below the ground.
"Everyone be careful! This is a Demon Cultivation Array!"
"Kid, you’ve got a sharp eye. But forget you lot—even if a Holy Hall Elder came, they would only be trapped here to die! Ha... AARGH!"
BOOM...
At once, the great hall slowly emerged from the darkness, and Liu Xiao’s figure stumbled out of the void and fell to the ground.
"Zhou Qian, are you trying to die?!"
Zhou Qian’s Bursting Fire Talisman Group had been aimed at Liu Xiao’s head, but it only ended up blasting him out of hiding.
"Wan Gu Master, you’re dead!"
Hu Jing and the others emerged, supporting two junior sisters from Lingyin Hall.
It wasn’t that Liu Xiao hadn’t considered Zhou Qian’s submission a delaying tactic; it was just that the fucking kid’s act had been too convincing.
"Zhou Qian, you took my Soul Refining Pill! Only I have the antidote! Do you have any idea what will happen to you without it?!"
Liu Xiao was aghast. How could there be such an idiot in this world, one who would harm himself to help others? ’Who cares if the rest of the world dies?’ he thought. Besides, he had clearly sensed the guy was interested in that woman. It was a perfect situation, a chance to kill two birds with one stone, yet he actually chose to die instead.
Zhou Qian smiled faintly. "I’m not only afraid of dying, I’m also afraid of pain. But I’m even more afraid of dying with no one to bury me."
"You damn monster! You think everyone is like you? We’ll definitely find a way to save Brother Zhou!"
Hu Jing said.
"Ah, so you knew he was faking it all along?" Liuu Mei asked, a little surprised.
Hu Jing smiled faintly. "Of course. Otherwise, why would I have been foolish enough to reveal an opening when I knew I was no match for him?"
"You two planned this beforehand?"
"Smart people don’t need to," Zhou Qian said.
Wan Gu Master shook his head. "Kid, I thought you were a smart one, but it seems you’re an even bigger fool. When your whole body is festering and rotting, and everyone has abandoned you, then you’ll understand what reality is!"
"You don’t need to worry about that," Zhou Qian said calmly.
Wang Meng, Li Tianyi, and Mingren immediately formed a triangular formation, surrounding Wan Gu Master. Their Elemental Power blazed, and in their agitated state, their Life Mark Combinations operated even faster and more fiercely.
Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword!
Spirit Void Soul Stealing Sword!
Dozens of brilliant beams of sword light locked onto Wan Gu Master. Li Tianyi and Mingren had clearly practiced together; their coordination was flawless. Their two Sword Techniques actually synchronized, doubling their attack power.
Wang Meng, of course, wouldn’t disrupt this synergy. His own slash landed precisely where Wan Gu Master was forced to step.
This one sword strike completely disrupted Wan Gu Master’s preparations. He was utterly shocked and enraged. ’How could someone possibly predict my movements? Unless they were at the Ancestral Master Level!’
’Could it be that this Level 15 kid... is the most terrifying one of all???’
Caught off guard, Liu Xiao could only block head-on with his tyrannical Elemental Power, instantly unleashing six Netherworld Ghost Hands. This was his limit.
Faced with such sharp Sword Qi, the Netherworld Ghost Hands could only act as a brief barrier. The rage and killing intent in Li Tianyi and Mingren’s hearts were poured entirely into their attacks.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Liu Xiao was immediately struck by more than a dozen slashes, but none were fatal wounds; his Elemental Power was, after all, much more formidable. However, one sword strike hidden within the flurry of Sword Qi penetrated his Sea of Fate before he could even react.
Instantly, Wan Gu Master felt as though he was suffering from cultivation deviation. The Elemental Power throughout his body ran rampant.
’It’s that damned kid again!’
ROAR—
A bloody mist erupted from Liu Xiao’s body—it was a highly toxic blood mist. Wang Meng and the other two quickly executed a Sword Array to block the spattering poison.
Meanwhile, Wan Gu Master roared as he soared into the air. "Youngsters, one day I’ll make you wish you were dead but unable to die!"
The combined attack of the three was indeed stronger than Wan Gu Master, but the problem was, they couldn’t stop him from escaping.
Failing to pull a weed out by the roots would lead to absolute disaster, especially with a being like Wan Gu Master.
Looking down at the helpless group below, Liu Xiao laughed maniacally, which aggravated his injuries and caused him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
That strike aimed at his Sea of Fate had nearly cost him his life.
Just then, a flash of light came from the ground, and a fat figure sprang up. "I’ll shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot... shoot your birdie off!"
Showers of glowing arrows swept past. Zhang Xiaopang, as if having a seizure, instantly fired more than sixty arrows.
Ten Thousand Arrows Kill Stream!
Of course, Zhang Xiaopang was still a long way from ten thousand arrows. Staring at the incoming arrow-light, Wan Gu Master was truly exasperated. ’...How is there another one... Fuck!’
Instantly, Wan Gu Master turned into a porcupine and fell from the sky.
All of Liuu Mei’s fear suddenly turned into aggrieved tears as she cried and threw herself into Zhang Xiaopang’s arms.
"Don’t cry, don’t cry. What’s wrong? What happened?"
The crowd looked at the riddled body of Wan Gu Master, then at Zhang Xiaojiang, and were utterly speechless.
"You Deadman, where have you been!"
Zhang Xiaojiang scratched his head. "I was just trying to hide for a bit, but I accidentally fell asleep. Who’s this old Demon Cultivator? He’s so weak, but he was laughing so loud!"
...
At this point, even if Liu Xiao wasn’t dead, he would have been angered to death by Zhang Xiaojiang.