Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 255 Peerless Sword Genius
With the help of the Thunder Ape Battle Body, the defensive power he condensed was not so easy to break through, even for a Golden Core cultivator in the early stage.

However, it was so easily penetrated by the sword light of Zhou Ling's sword formation.

At this moment, regardless of Zhou Ling's cultivation level, he must do his best to deal with him.

"Let's decide the outcome with one move. Now, let's see if you can withstand this lightning magic."

Wan Kun stared at Zhou Ling and said with a solemn expression.

At this moment, his heart was filled with a tremendous surge of emotions.

If he fails to win this time, he will not be able to obtain the Jade Rejuvenation Elixir.

The process of undergoing the Golden Core Tribulation and condensing the Golden Core will be postponed.

Moreover, he will be leaving the academy next year, and then he will no longer have the opportunity to participate in the competition and compete for the Jade Returning Golden Elixir.

However, purchasing the Jade Rejuvenation Elixir on the market is not only difficult, but the quality is also generally poor, and the price is ridiculously high.

In this way, the process of condensing the Golden Elixir becomes extremely uncertain.

Therefore, no matter what, we must defeat Zhou Ling in this battle.

His decision to decide the outcome in one decisive move was also based on his own plans.

By now, his magical power had been significantly depleted, and he no longer had a clear advantage.

If he uses his supernatural powers a few more times, his magical power will be completely exhausted.

It's simply impossible to fully recover before the afternoon finals.

Therefore, we have to fight quickly and decisively.

Only by winning the first blow and recovering in the afternoon can there be hope of victory.

"Alright, let's decide the outcome with one move and avoid unnecessary losses!"

Zhou Ling nodded in response, her tone calm.

At this moment, his energy expenditure was still within a controllable range, but he also wanted to test the power of man and sword as one.

Moreover, with his current level of magical power, he can only maintain the state of being one with the sword for about ten breaths.

Therefore, it is also suitable for a decisive move.

The two sides hit it off immediately.

Everyone was hoping to win, but also to avoid exhausting their magical power and have enough strength to fight in the afternoon.

"Thunder Ape Moves Mountains!"

Wan Kun raised his hands high and shouted, causing a sudden gust of wind to surge across the entire arena.

A vast expanse of dark, heavy clouds enveloped the entire arena, within which purple lightning flashed fiercely and violent thunder roared incessantly.

They resembled ferocious purple lightning dragons, ready to roar out at any moment.

Around the arena, a massive black whirlwind suddenly rose into the air and connected with the thunderclouds in the sky.

The black whirlwind, accompanied by lightning and thunder, resembled a ferocious ancient beast undergoing a tribulation of lightning, its power was astonishing.

[You are observing the Thunder Ape Battle Body Bloodline Divine Power Thunder Ape Mountain Moving, Intermediate Observation +1]

[You are analyzing the Thunder Ape Battle Body Bloodline Divine Power Thunder Ape Mountain Moving, Intermediate Analysis +1]

As the two talents emerged, information about the Thunder Ape bloodline's divine abilities appeared in Zhou Ling's mind.

The Thunder Ape Battle Body possesses three major bloodline supernatural abilities: Thunder Ape Mountain Moving, Thunder Ape Roar, and Thunder Ape Blood Transformation.

Now it seems that Wan Kun may only have mastered the Thunder Ape Mountain Moving Technique.

With these two innate abilities for observation and analysis, Zhou Ling instantly understood the situation of this divine power, essentially gaining a thorough understanding of both himself and his enemy.

This Thunder Ape Mountain Moving Technique is a deadly divine power that combines thunder and immense strength, and its power is astonishing.

Under the Thunder Ape's battle body, its power is no less than that of a Golden Core cultivator's spell.

"How terrifying! Even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to withstand Senior Brother Wan's attack."

"I never expected Zhou Ling to be able to push Senior Brother Wan to this point."

"Senior Brother Wan's attack was something no Foundation Establishment cultivator could withstand."

"The contest is over! There's absolutely no way an early Foundation Establishment cultivator could withstand this attack!"

"Zhou Ling can control four spiritual flames, plus the Five Elements Sword Formation. If he hadn't encountered Senior Brother Wan, he would definitely have made it to the finals."

The audience was in awe and discussing the situation.

At this moment, all that could be seen in everyone's eyes was the vast, ever-shining thunder.

Zhou Ling's body appeared utterly vulnerable in front of the enormous thunder ape.

"Can Zhou Ling hold them off?"

Dean Gong's pretty face showed concern.

"Dean Gong, don't worry. Zhou Ling is a third-tier weapon refiner, and he's usually very cautious. He definitely has a third-tier defensive armor on him. Even if he can't withstand Wan Kun's attack, he won't be in any danger!"

Dean Zhong said calmly.

In his opinion, Wan Kun's attack was indeed powerful, but Zhou Ling remained calm, which meant he must have already come up with a solution.

With the power of the Five Elements Sword Formation, plus the third-tier treasure robe he was wearing, he was fully capable of blocking this attack.

The question is, after blocking the attack, will they still have the strength to fight back?

That would be a bit risky.

After all, the power of this attack had far exceeded the capabilities of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Of course, if you can't catch it, you can't catch it. Zhou Ling has already done a great job by doing this much.

He had only lost two bottles of pills.

Upon hearing this, Dean Gong's pretty face relaxed for a moment, then her face flushed.

I seem to have been a little too concerned about Zhou Ling!

Meanwhile, on the competition stage.

Seeing this astonishing attack, Zhou Ling dared not be careless. He waved his hand, and the Wooden Lotus Sword flew out, slowly rotating around him.

How powerful is the first time the sword and man are united?
He wasn't sure either!
However, he was not worried, as the power of the Earth Spirit Fire and the Five Elements Sword Formation was enough to block this attack.

It's just a matter of whether the unity of man and sword can defeat it.

Zhou Lingxuan immediately channeled his magical power into the Wooden Lotus Sword.

The Wood Lotus Sword instantly burst forth with a burst of green light.

A cyan sword light instantly enveloped Zhou Ling's entire body.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a river of wooden lotus swords.

Zhou Ling seemed to merge into the River of Swords, and his entire body suddenly disappeared from the spot.

There was no breath left.

The thunderous attack that had already locked onto Zhou Ling paused for a moment.

"This is?"

A look of surprise and doubt flashed in Wan Kun's eyes.

He suspected that Zhou Ling's wooden lotus sword might contain a hidden magic seal, otherwise how could Zhou Ling have disappeared into thin air?

As for the unity of man and sword, it wasn't that he hadn't thought of it, but in his opinion, with Zhou Ling's cultivation at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, it was absolutely impossible for him to perform the unity of man and sword.

"What about people?"

"This is?"

"What kind of magic is this?"

"It can't be that the man and the sword are one, can it?"

"Are you stupid?! How can someone in the early Foundation Establishment stage comprehend and practice the unity of man and sword?"

······
People in the audience watched as Zhou Ling's body suddenly disappeared, and they began to discuss it amongst themselves.

"Man and sword unite!"

"This kid actually grasped the concept of man and sword as one?"

"How can this be?"

The judges on the panel were far more skilled than the disciples in the audience, so they all immediately recognized that Zhou Ling was using the technique of man and sword as one.

They were all shocked.

Dean Gong, in particular, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

She could see that the aura released from Zhou Ling's wooden lotus sword was quite similar to the Falling Wood Sword Intent that she had comprehended.

But how is this possible?

This sword stone was just given to him yesterday.

No matter how amazing one's talent, it's impossible to grasp the essence of swordsmanship overnight.

At this moment, Dean Gong stared intently at the Wooden Lotus Sword.

In the air, the azure sword river roared and swirled, within which a wooden lotus sword light condensed, vast and powerful, several feet in size.

The surrounding sword energy bloomed like a lotus flower, layer upon layer. Then, the azure sword river swirled around the lotus-shaped sword energy with great agility.

The sword energy of the wooden lotus changed colors, like the changing seasons, illuminating the entire arena in a dreamlike and enchanting way.

"Four Seasons Magnolia, cut it down!"

As a faint voice echoed from the River of Swords, the condensed wooden lotus sword light slammed into the massive pillar of lightning in the sky.

"Boom boom!"

Thunder and sword light clashed violently, the rumbling sound shaking the void, and a terrifying destructive force spread throughout the arena.

The immense force caused the entire arena to tremble violently.

Dean Qi of Tianxia Dao Academy hurriedly leaped up, condensing incantations in his hands and casting them into the light barrier.

This stabilized the light shield and the testing platform.

"This is man and sword as one, how is that possible?"

"Is he really at the early stage of Foundation Establishment?"

"To comprehend the unity of man and sword at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, this talent is simply terrifying!"

"Could it be the sword body?"

Everyone now understood that Zhou Ling's sword strike was a perfect fusion of man and sword.

People were shocked and couldn't believe that someone in the early Foundation Establishment stage could actually perform the "Man and Sword as One" technique.

Such a swordsman with such talent is actually a magician?

"Junior Sister Li, it seems your defeat was not unjust!"

Inside the rest area of ​​Tianxia Taoist Temple, a handsome young man spoke to Li Jun, his tone slightly wistful.

"Wow, I never expected him to be such a monstrous talent!"

Li Jun shook his head helplessly.

It's understandable that my younger brother has always been suppressed by such a genius.

"But don't worry, junior sister, I will definitely avenge you!"

Looking at the competition stage, the young man's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he burst forth with a strong fighting spirit.

"Senior Brother Zhao, this kid may seem to have a low cultivation level, but his strength is far from simple, and he won't be easy to deal with!"

Li Jun looked at the young man and spoke up to remind him.

He recalled his battle with Zhou Ling yesterday.

He was initially somewhat unwilling to accept the loss, believing that Zhou Ling's victory was merely a fluke.

But when she saw Zhou Ling display the unity of man and sword, she knew that she could never defeat him.

"Don't worry, junior sister!"

The young man nodded confidently.

Even if Zhou Ling manages to defeat Wan Kun in this battle, it would be quite good if he could recover 50% of his strength by the afternoon.

However, his next opponent is Qin Hao from the Nine Heavens Sword Academy, who will not be so easy to deal with.

But if they win, their recovery will be much faster than Zhou Ling's.

In this situation, cultivators with higher cultivation levels have a clear advantage.

Moreover, if Zhou Ling cannot fully recover, he will absolutely be unable to perform the "Man and Sword as One" technique again.

Even if he could achieve perfect harmony between man and sword, he would still have ways to block it.

With Zhou Ling's cultivation level, he could only unleash one sword strike at most, which is why he was so confident.

On the dueling platform, the enormous pillar of lightning flickered erratically under the onslaught of the Wooden Lotus Sword River.

In an instant, it suddenly shattered, and the cyan sword river instantly annihilated the lightning.

There was a pop.

Wan Kun spat out a mouthful of blood, the lightning around him dissipated, and his huge body suddenly changed, returning to human form.

He fell to the ground, his face pale.

"It's actually man and sword as one!"

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

He stared at the azure river of swords in the sky, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He lost, he lost completely.

It's simply unimaginable that Lei Xiu, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator with the Thunder Ape Battle Body, was defeated by a Foundation Establishment early stage cultivator!
The sword light dissipated in the air, and Zhou Ling landed on the ground, his face also pale, breathing slightly heavily.

But his eyes were full of energy.

He finally truly experienced the immense power of man and sword becoming one.

If he had wanted to make a move just now, he could have killed Wan Kun outright. Of course, this was just a contest, and Zhou Ling would never actually kill him.

"Zhou Lingsheng!"

The judges' voices then rang out.

Wan Kun looked helpless as he got up and staggered off the competition platform.

"This kid is only fifteen years old, yet he's a third-tier weapon refiner and has mastered the unity of man and sword. How did he do that?"

On the judges' panel, Dean Huang's eyes widened in disbelief as he spoke.

As the dean of one of the four great academies, he had never seen anyone with extraordinary talent!
But for Zhou Ling, a rogue cultivator, to reach such a terrifying level at the age of fifteen was truly unimaginable to him.

Dean Qi stroked his goatee, his expression equally bewildered.

"This kid is absolutely a peerless swordsmanship genius!"

"It would be a complete waste not to come to my Nine Heavens Sword Academy!"

Dean Gong spoke with great enthusiasm.

Even Dean Zhong agreed with her at this moment.

With Zhou Ling's talent, he really has a chance to become a fifth-realm sword cultivator in the future.

Every fifth-realm sword cultivator is a protector of the human race.

Being able to cultivate a fifth-realm sword cultivator is a huge contribution to the Dao Alliance.

Therefore, he did not object to Zhou Ling going to the Nine Heavens Sword Academy.

After Zhou Ling stepped off the competition platform, he felt that many eyes were watching him.

These gazes ranged from admiration and shock to even disbelief and astonishment.

This was something he had long been accustomed to.

"Brother Ling, you're awesome!"

Back in the rest area, Sun Dajie hurriedly wiped Zhou Ling's prayer mat, flattering him with an expression of utter shock.

He never expected that Zhou Ling would be able to defeat Wan Kun.

After all, Zhou Ling's main focus is on weapon crafting, so it's already quite surprising that he was able to enter the top four in terms of combat strength.

Yet, he defeated Wan Kun, the number one player in the Flying Dragon Academy, so decisively and cleanly.

There's a real chance to win the championship in this competition.

Zhou Ling took out a pill bottle, poured out a pill, popped it into his mouth, and smiled, saying, "Just lucky!"

"Husband, when did you achieve the unity of man and sword?"

Wang Xin asked curiously as well.

Zhou Ling's sword strike just now also surprised her greatly.

Although she had always had confidence in Zhou Ling, she was still worried for him when she saw Wan Kun transform into a thunder ape and unleash a terrifying attack.

"It was only through a series of coincidences over the past few days that I came to this understanding!"

Zhou Ling smiled.

If I said I realized it in one night, probably no one would believe me.

"No, perhaps one person will believe it!"

Zhou Ling couldn't help but think of Dean Gong.

After all, that sword strike just now contained the Four Seasons Falling Leaves Sword Intent of Dean Gong.

She saw it, and she'll definitely be able to guess what it was.

However, he had already prepared his explanation, so he wasn't afraid of her asking questions.

Moreover, given Dean Gong's status, he probably wouldn't ask him such a question.

After all, every cultivator has their own opportunities.

It's normal for some people to progress faster in their cultivation than others.

Zhou Ling thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)