Batian Martial Soul

Su Miao's sword spun with her body, its movements wide and powerful, fierce and domineering like a thunderbolt. Each strike was as heavy as a mountain, causing Ling Xiao's arm to go numb and his tiger's mouth to ache faintly.

However, just as Su Miao's sword technique reached its peak, Ling Xiao's sword technique suddenly changed!
One moment it was like raging waves crashing against the shore, the next it had transformed into a flowing spring winding around rocks. The blade moved lightly and nimbly, seeking out the subtle gaps in the opponent's sword movements, sometimes pointing, sometimes flicking, sometimes slashing, sometimes stroking, like a bone-deep sore, constantly dissolving and drawing away Su Miao's powerful sword energy.

On the arena, Ling Xiao's sword light was like a dragon playing in the water, agile and unpredictable; Su Miao's sword light was like an avalanche splitting a valley, unstoppable.

Two figures clashed and clashed, their energy radiating outwards and flashing with cold light, leaving the audience below mesmerized and their blood boiling... This was the true clash of swordsmen!
Abandoning external supernatural powers, they fight purely with skill, strength, and will, with every move a matter of life and death, and every style exhilarating!

After more than a hundred rounds of fierce fighting, Ling Xiao suddenly feigned an opening, deliberately exposing his left shoulder. Su Miao's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, she slashed down with all her might, the blade whistling through the air, aiming straight for Ling Xiao's shoulder blade!
Just as the blade was about to strike, Ling Xiao twisted his body strangely, narrowly dodging it like a serpent. At the same time, the battle blade flew out of his hand, its blade swirling with demonic intent. Its trajectory was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, shooting towards Su Miao's heart like a meteor!
This throw relied entirely on wrist strength, and its speed was faster and its trajectory more unpredictable, making it impossible to anticipate!

Su Miao's eyes changed drastically, and she parried with her sword!

"Qiang!"

With a crisp sound, Lingxiao's battle blade was knocked away, spinning as it flew towards the edge of the arena.

But Ling Xiao pounced like a cheetah, grabbing the hilt of the knife that bounced back in mid-air. Using the momentum of his charge, he became one with the knife, transforming into a straight, cold beam of light, infused with all his demonic intent, and aimed it straight at Su Miao's brow!
This strike pushed speed, timing, courage, and demonic intent to their limits, leaving no room for evasion!

A cold glint flashed in Su Miao's eyes. She didn't parry anymore... If she did, she would be put on the defensive and suppressed by Ling Xiao's relentless attacks. She flipped her wrist, and her longsword drew a chilling arc. Instead of defending, she launched a counterattack, the blade aimed straight for Ling Xiao's throat!
Attack against attack, life against life!
Two bright, cold lights crossed each other in the center of the arena, moving so fast that only two afterimages remained.

"laugh……!"

"laugh……!"

Two soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously, and blood splattered from the two people, blooming into two dazzling red streaks in the air above the arena, both tragic and resolute.

The audience fell into a deathly silence. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the two figures on the stage.

The two stood back to back, three zhang apart. Ling Xiao's clothes were torn on his shoulder, revealing a deep, bone-revealing knife wound that bled profusely, staining most of his shoulder red; Su Miao's black outfit was cut at the side of her neck, and a line of blood slowly spread across her snow-white skin, dripping to the ground and splashing up tiny blood flowers.

No one yielded, no one fell, and not even their bodies swayed in the slightest.

A moment later, Su Miao slowly sheathed her sword with a soft, clear, and crisp clang. She didn't turn around; her cool voice carried on the wind, tinged with a barely perceptible weariness: "I lost... We'll fight again after I recover."

After saying that, her figure, like ink wash painting, slowly dissipated on the arena, leaving only a faint chill.

She did lose.

It appeared to be a draw, but Ling Xiao's demonic intent had already invaded her soul during the clash of swords. At this moment, her soul felt as if it were being gnawed by thousands of ants, her head was throbbing, and her fingers holding the sword were trembling slightly. She was simply unable to continue fighting.

Ling Xiao, on the other hand, suffered only physical injuries, but his spirit remained unharmed, clearly demonstrating the difference in their abilities.

This demonic intent is truly impossible to guard against.

Ling Xiao stood there, raised his hand to wipe away the blood that had spilled from the corner of his mouth, looked in the direction where Su Miao had disappeared, grinned, and smiled silently... His mouth was stained with blood, but his smile was more intense than the blazing sun. His blood was boiling, and every inch of his bones was cheering.

happy!

This battle was exhilarating, though not entirely satisfying, it gave him an unprecedented experience of being tempered.

Below the arena, countless gazes were focused on his blood-stained back, filled with awe, shock, disbelief, and deep apprehension...

From this day forward, the name "Ling the Demon" will no longer be synonymous with madness, but a symbol of absolute power! The Death Arena of Absolute Spirit has a new champion!

On the distant city tower, Lin Muying leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance, taking in the breathtaking battle that had just taken place. Behind her, the old man in black robes sighed softly, "City Lord, this child... he's truly destined for greatness. The Death Arena hasn't seen such a spectacular duel in decades; Su Miao's defeat was not unjust."

Lin Muying remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling. Her gaze was complex and unfathomable, containing relief, apprehension, and even a hint of relief... relief that she hadn't acted out of greed and become Ling Xiao's enemy.

"Pass down the order." She turned around, her tone resolute. "From this day forward, Jueling City shall treat Ling Xiao as an honored guest, fulfilling all his needs without the slightest neglect. Anyone who dares to provoke him shall be punished as a traitor to the city!"

The old man in black robes bowed and replied, "Yes, sir."

On the other side, the glow of the sunset faded where Lingxiao sat cross-legged, and all the surging demonic energy around him was contained, his injuries completely healed.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, and turned to Zhang Ming beside him:

"Brother Zhang, I have already defeated Su Miao, the strongest in this Demon Abyss. Where else can I quickly improve my strength?"

Zhang Ming's fingertips caressed the jade pendant at his waist, his brows furrowed slightly, and after a long pause, he said:

"There is indeed such a place, but it is extremely dangerous, with a slim chance of survival!"

"It doesn't matter."

Ling Xiao suddenly stood up, his robes fluttering as demonic power flickered within him:

"take me."

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind... to become stronger as soon as possible!
Although the Temple of Annihilation was destroyed, the watchers behind it remained like maggots clinging to its bones. Such beings could revive the temple with a single thought.

The safety of the Overlord Empire weighed heavily on his heart; he needed to possess the power to defy fate before the Watchers could act.

……

As dusk settled, the silhouette of the desolate mountains loomed menacingly in the setting sun.

The moment Ling Xiao followed Zhang Ming into the mountains, he sensed the stench of blood and the savage aura permeating the air—the ferocity unique to ancient, exotic species.

"The ancient beasts in this mountain range are all remnants of the ancient blood war."

Zhang Ming's voice was as clear and cold as an icy spring, his gaze sweeping across the ancient forest that blocked out the sky:
"Their flesh and skin are comparable to the divine iron of the heavens, their claws and teeth can split mountains and rivers, and their souls have been tempered and refined a thousand times."

"Fighting them to the death will either result in physical and spiritual annihilation, or... using the battle to break through to a higher level of power."

Ling Xiao gripped his battle sword tightly; the icy chill of the hilt made his heart tighten.
"What kind of being are we looking for?"

Zhang Ming turned around, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and said, word by word:

"Naturally, it's the Primordial Qilin Dragon at the summit of the Demon Abyss, which has lived for three thousand years!"

Ling Xiao's breath hitched!
He had already witnessed the ferocity of a beast comparable to a Nascent Soul Realm monster on the outer edge of the mountain range, and the being at the summit of the Demon Abyss was actually approaching the level of an ancient remnant species? (End of Chapter)