The sheer explosive nature of this sword energy, much like the Roaring Lion’s battle qi, stunned me. This was going to be difficult. A momentary lapse had already cost me an injury, and this initial misstep meant trouble. I secretly rallied my spirit. Though I desperately wanted to pull out a healing tonic, facing the fiercely glaring Luo Yan, I dared not move rashly. I could only grit my teeth, endure the intense pain, and hold fast.
“Hah!” A cruel smile flickered in Luo Yan’s eyes. His speed undiminished, he swung the great Zhanmadao (Horse-Slaying Saber) in a horizontal sweep, opening up like a peacock displaying its tail. A massive crescent moon of multicolored light blanketed the entire area, rushing toward me.
“It’s the White Tiger Saber Technique.” The onlookers gasped in unison.
“The White Tiger Half-Moon from the White Tiger Saber Technique,” Qing Long stated tensely.
“The White Tiger has finally bared its fangs,” Tong Lei muttered, “Binghe must hold on.”
“He has to win,” Lu Zhao murmured to himself. ............................................................. Amidst the surrounding cries of alarm, the White Tiger Alliance erupted in thunderous cheers, as if this single move guaranteed my death by the saber. Though I was ignorant of the specific prowess of this White Tiger Saber Technique, the reactions of those present confirmed it was no ordinary skill.
The astonishing speed caused the rapidly approaching multicolored crescent to exhibit a blurred distortion and ripple. In that instant, I judged evasion impossible. Gritting my teeth, I channeled my battle qi to its fullest extent and slashed out a crescent of my own.
All this transpired in the blink of an eye. The two crescents detonated with a boom five meters before me. The sheer concussive force sent me staggering backward repeatedly. Luo Yan, apparently certain my battle qi couldn't match his, stopped advancing when he was twenty meters away. Instead, he continuously swung the massive Zhanmadao, unleashing seven successive multicolored crescent strikes in quick succession—each one displaying absurd intensity, speed, and coverage. These seven crescents advanced like the furious, surging tide of an angry ocean.
Off the field!
“It’s here,” Qing Long exclaimed. “The White Tiger Sevenfold Slash.”
“The most tyrannical sword energy attack in the White Tiger Saber Technique,” Tong Lei couldn't help but bellow, “Binghe, dodge quickly!”
“Ah!” Watching the waves of crescent sword energy surge forward on the field, Lu Zhao nearly lost the ability to think. How could Xingchen possibly evade this?
Sevenfold Half-Moon!
I gasped in shock!
Even under the effect of the Eye of Death's Desire, I could clearly perceive the trajectory of every single multicolored crescent. Yet, precisely because of this clarity, I knew I stood zero chance of dodging them all.
With no recourse, I forced my battle qi to maximum output, carving out my own counter-sweeps to intercept the seven incoming crescents, while simultaneously retreating backward at top speed.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
In that moment, the sound of continuous explosions was deafening. I successfully intercepted all seven crescent strikes, but the effort left me utterly spent, feeling as though my chest was about to burst. Executing such high-intensity battle qi attacks so frequently had rapidly depleted my inner energy. Even the inherently sustained and stable flow characteristic of Thunder Battle Qi seemed unable to keep up—a phenomenon that had never occurred before. Anxiety gnawed at me, but I had no alternative strategy. As I retreated continuously, Luo Yan pressed forward, maintaining a steady twenty-meter distance—the optimal range for his crescent sword energy attacks. It was clear he intended to break me entirely through sheer, profound cultivation.
With no path to escape, I could only clamp down on my jaw, struggle to endure, and desperately channel my battle qi, daring not to relax for an instant. I knew that continuing like this would inevitably exhaust my qi, leading to defeat. Yet, this was the only way I could counter him.
In the time it took to blink, Luo Yan and I had exchanged over seventy crescent sword energy blasts, with absolutely no pause between exchanges. Ten meters out, the fierce explosions never ceased. Dazzling flashes of light, violent roars, and powerful shockwaves pulverized the central area of the arena, leaving behind only a vast, deep pit.
“Heavens! He’s actually clashing battle qi head-on with Luo Yan!” Everyone present was aghast.
“Why doesn’t he evade?” Tong Lei asked nervously.
“It’s not that he won't,” Qing Long’s face turned ashen. “It’s that he absolutely cannot evade. The Sevenfold Slash has sealed off every avenue of escape. There is no other way but to meet force with force.”
“Damn it,” Lu Zhao fretted. “The difference in their battle qi reserves is too vast.”
“How long can Binghe last at this rate?” Qing Long asked.
On the field!
The soreness in my body intensified, feeling as if I were encased in a thousand pounds of plaster, growing heavier and heavier. My chest felt on the verge of shattering—a clear sign of severe physical exhaustion from overexertion. If I didn't find a way to break free from this predicament soon, sheer fatigue alone would kill me.
It seemed I had no choice but to risk pushing the intensity of my Thunder Battle Qi to the Fifth Layer. While this would make controlling my body significantly harder, it would grant a substantial boost in battle qi output. This was the only method I could conceive of in this moment. Without further hesitation, I resolved to act.
Activating the Fifth Layer technique of the Thunder Battle Qi! Boom! A powerful surge of energy instantly flooded my entire being.
Almost simultaneously! Luo Yan’s great Zhanmadao suddenly accelerated. The attack pattern, previously seven crescent strikes per set, instantly exploded into twenty-one! Furthermore, both speed and power had more than doubled! They screamed toward me like twenty-one massive streaks of lightning—a fatal volley of blows.
Off the field!
“Ah! It’s the White Tiger Twenty-One Absolute Slash!” Cheers erupted everywhere.
“No!” Qing Long’s face went deathly pale. “Dodge, quickly!” Despite knowing it was impossible, Qing Long instinctively bellowed the command.
“Danger!” Lu Zhao cried out.
“Binghe!” Tong Lei’s voice was strained.
I was utterly shocked. At this rate, I wouldn't even be able to intercept. Under the Eye of Death's Desire, I instantly calculated that the counter-crescents I could unleash would only manage to intercept this wave three meters in front of me. There was no way to block the second wave, leaving the remaining twenty crescent sword strikes to hit me directly, resulting in my annihilation.
Roar! Since I couldn't block them all, I opted to endure head-on. The energy of the Fifth Layer Thunder Battle Qi instantly converted into a Thunder Shield. My entire body erupted in a dazzling, multicolored explosion of light. Simultaneously, I executed the White Crane Soaring maneuver. The air above was my only avenue of escape, but unless absolutely necessary, I would never choose this path, as launching into the air meant losing all leverage, turning me into a stationary target for Luo Yan’s sword energy assault.
However, in this moment, I had no choice. It was evident that this was precisely Luo Yan’s goal in unleashing this finishing volley of sword energy. Indeed, as I ascended, Luo Yan’s saber tip tilted slightly, preparing to strike the next volley of aerial crescent attacks. If he managed to execute that attack, it would mean certain death for me.
“It’s over!” Qing Long cried out in despair.
“……” Tong Lei and Lu Zhao could barely bear to watch.
But just as everyone believed Binghe was doomed,
Whoosh! Two piercing glares flashed forth instantly! Like lightning, they shot directly toward Luo Yan’s chest!
“Ah! What was that!” No one could discern exactly what had happened. The two sharp glares seemed to materialize out of thin air directly over Luo Yan’s chest.
“It’s Dragon Shadow!” Lu Zhao roared excitedly. Only then did Lu Zhao recall that Xingchen had formally joined the Dragon Shadow Manor. He naturally knew the Dragon Shadow Sword Style.
“Such speed for the Dragon Shadow,” Tong Lei gasped in shock. “It was completely invisible!”
In another corner, two disciples from the Dragon Shadow Manor, Jian Kong and Jian Yao, who had come to offer congratulations, were utterly dumbfounded. “He! He! Who exactly is that person to know our Dragon Shadow Manor’s Dragon Shadow Sword Style?”
“And judging by the speed of those Dragon Shadows, his mastery of the control principle must have reached the Dragon Transformation Realm,” Jian Kong muttered. “What is going on here? Could he be one of our senior brothers?”
Many on the field instinctively turned toward Jian Kong and Jian Yao. The members of the White Tiger Alliance, however, glared with murderous intent!
As I ascended, my two Dragon Shadows had already flashed like lightning to Luo Yan’s chest! Indeed, the speed of my Dragon Shadow strike was significantly faster than the Crescent Blade or the Assassination Sword Qi.
Luo Yan’s Crescent Blade was only halfway through its swing when my Dragon Shadows reached his chest!
Ah! This sudden shift surprised Luo Yan, causing a flicker of shock on his face. Under the Eye of Death's Desire, human visual nerves reacted at least five times faster. Thus, despite the astonishing speed of my Dragon Shadows, they absolutely could not escape Luo Yan’s own detection by the Eye of Death’s Desire!
Of course, being able to see it is one thing; blocking it is entirely another! It was similar to how I could clearly see Luo Yan’s crescent sword energy attacks but still could not evade his targeted lock-on strikes—this was the characteristic duel between warriors of Grandmaster level strength.
Roar! Luo Yan, swift as ever, instantly looped the half-finished crescent attack. The great Zhanmadao flipped, and the dense crescent sword energy instantly curved into a shield of battle qi!
Clang! The two Dragon Shadows were simultaneously deflected high into the air! Utilizing this brief opening, I immediately unleashed seven strikes of the Myriad Miles Soul Chaser. While my body control felt like an out-of-control, severely speeding vehicle under the Fifth Layer Thunder Battle Qi, the internal reserve of battle qi was immense.
The execution method for the Myriad Miles Soul Chaser was similar to the Assassination Sword Style; however, the latter utilized the foundational battle qi of the Ranger world, whereas the former was fueled by the equivalent Thunder Battle Qi. Consequently, its destructive power was vastly superior to ordinary Assassination Sword Qi. Most crucially, the casting speed of the Assassination Sword Qi was marginally quicker than the Crescent Blade. In this moment, that minuscule difference in execution speed proved decisive!
Having lost the initiative due to the Dragon Shadow attack, Luo Yan had to abandon striking me while I was airborne. He swung his massive saber wildly, the great Zhanmadao, encased in thick battle qi, functioning like an enormous battle qi shield, flipping continuously to block my seven strikes of the Myriad Miles Soul Chaser. ..................... This sudden turn of events left everyone wide-eyed and speechless. Who could have imagined that the seemingly doomed Binghe still possessed a hidden ace? Just two Dragon Shadows had miraculously brought him back from the brink of death.
This duel was utterly fraught with peril. Both combatants unleashed their ultimate skills; blades clashed against sabers! The entire arena thrummed with the impact of the shocking sword energy, sounding like countless bolts of thunder striking the earth. The two figures on the field—one golden, one azure—chased each other with astonishing speed, crisscrossing the space like twin streaks of lightning, indiscernible to anyone with poor eyesight.
“Is this… is this the confrontation of Grandmaster-level practitioners?”
“Too fast.”
“We can’t even see them clearly!”
“I never thought even the White Tiger, Luo Hao, would be pushed to this extent by that young man.”
The younger disciples of the Feng family and the Dragon Shadow Manor were dumbfounded. Who exactly was this Binghe on the field, capable of mastering the ultimate techniques of both the Feng family and the Dragon Shadow Manor, and possessing such terrifying cultivation?
“Dragon Shadow Sword Style versus White Tiger Saber Technique!” someone exclaimed immediately.
“What a magnificent clash between Dragon and Tiger! Who will ultimately prevail?”