Feng Zikang sprang up, a long sword mark starkly visible across his left arm, yet he let out a hearty laugh, completely unconcerned.

"The Southern Barbarian method of nurturing a weapon truly holds unique magic. If your Moon-Slaying Demon Sword were tempered for another decade to fully fuse with your body, heart, and mind, I fear this strike would have cost me half my life, even if it didn't kill me!"

"But since your sword missed its mark, you won't get another chance!"

Feng Zikang vigorously shook the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Banner. Thunder split the clear sky as a ten-zhang golden-armored general descended from above, landing upon him and merging in a slight shimmer!

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Manifestation Divine Ability!

Feng Zikang had seized the banner and naturally grasped the divine ability attached to it. Now, transformed into the Heavenly King’s form—ten zhang tall, holding an iron pagoda in his left hand and a black serpent in his right—his tiger eyes glared, inspiring terror in all who beheld him.

"You... you didn't nurture the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Banner, how can you use..."

Wuduya exclaimed in shock, unable to believe it, and pressed his question.

"How can I use this Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Manifestation Divine Ability, you ask? Hahahaha," Feng Zikang’s laughter, issuing from the Heavenly King's form, was like a clap of thunder as he brandished the iron pagoda, standing tall and proud. "Be reborn in your next life as a Central Plains cultivator, and you'll naturally understand this trick! Enough idle talk now; let's settle this with our hands!"

"Good!"

Wuduya was also truly enraged. He swung the Moon-Slaying Demon Sword in his hand, raising several zhang of sword light, and chopped down towards Feng Zikang’s head. Feng Zikang blocked it with the iron pagoda, while his right hand whipped the black serpent like a lash towards Wuduya’s face. Wuduya dodged, but the serpent struck his shoulder. With several sharp cracks, he grimaced, teeth bared, letting out a wild howl of pain!

Originally, Wuduya’s Dharma Body towered at six zhang, giving him the advantage of striking from above. Now, with Feng Zikang standing at ten zhang, the situation was reversed. Feng Zikang relentlessly hammered down with the iron pagoda, forcing Wuduya to stumble backward in utter disarray.

"Misery!"

Wuduya staggered several paces back, crying out in distress.

"Can it be that Heaven does not favor my Southern Barbarians? Heaven forsakes my Southern Barbarians!"

He wailed aloud, his cries carrying for miles, deafening.

"Are we Southern Barbarians destined to be slaves to the Central Plains people! I refuse! I refuse!"

Wuduya had been the invincible war god and spiritual pillar of the Southern Barbarians, a title he proudly claimed for himself. Thus, he could not afford to lose. With this defeat, his spirit and vigor were completely drained. He stood with his hair disheveled and tears streaming down his face, all his former valor dissolving into a profound, sorrowful despair!

"My King, do not lose heart!"

A bald old man, seemingly as small as an ant on the ground, cried out in heartbroken anguish. It was Master Jiemo, whom Feng Zikang had seen that day. His voice was shrill, and his face was the color of gold leaf.

"My King, you are destined to become a Dragon! Destined to protect the common folk of our Southern Barbarians, as the Great Master prophesied a century ago! But the time is not yet right; the Dragon God has not fully matured. Let this old man use this worthless life to lend you strength!"

As the words left his mouth, Master Jiemo’s body exploded, transforming into a cloud of blood mist. The mist then seemed to be drawn by some powerful force, condensing into a bead of crimson blood. It circled once in the air before drilling straight into Wuduya’s brow!

"Waaaaah!"

Wuduya screamed in agony. However, the hair on the back of his head parted, and two blood-red horns were forced out!

"A Flood Dragon sprouts horns!"

Feng Zikang was greatly shocked. Could this man possess the destiny of a Flood Dragon ascending to the heavens?

Indeed, a shadowy image of a cyan Flood Dragon stirred behind Wuduya, restless and on the verge of soaring into the sky!

This—this should be the destiny of a sovereign worthy of ruling a region, the Flood Dragon’s Ascension Fate—how could he have been driven to such a desperate state by me? Why would a mission to slay him appear in the Nine Streams Sects?

Those possessing such a destiny often carry the Mandate of Heaven; even among cultivators, few would casually choose to kill them!

But the matter had come to this; overthinking was useless now!

Feng Zikang’s heart turned to ice. Never mind if this man was a Flood Dragon ascending; even facing the true Son of Heaven, having fought to this stage, should he still hold back? If he must be killed, kill him with one decisive strike. Whatever follows can be dealt with later—surely he wouldn't leave loose ends now!

Ignoring all else, he swung the iron pagoda down towards Wuduya’s head. Wuduya roared and met the blow with his sword!

Bang! Bang bang bang!

The two clashed dozens of times before retreating. Although in their Dharma Forms, both were gasping for breath, clearly reaching the limits of their endurance.

Having fought bitterly and employed every trick, the battle had become unpredictable. By this point, both knew this was the final exchange.

"Wuduya, your six-zhang Dharma Body won't last much longer, will it?"

"Hahahaha! Likewise. Mine can last perhaps the time it takes an incense stick to burn, but the divine ability of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Banner is only at the mere Tenth Level. Your time is almost up too!"

"Since that is the case, shall we exchange our final blows? Once this strike is delivered, it will be either your death or mine! No more dawdling!"

"Good!"

Wuduya clapped his hands in approval, straightened his back while panting.

"I am quite happy to meet a hero of the Central Plains such as yourself today! Even if I die by your hand, I will have no complaints! If you die, I will also ensure your corpse is buried with honors!"

"Haha! Who lives and who dies is not yet determined. Let's go!"

Feng Zikang tossed the black serpent aside, raised the iron pagoda high above his head with both hands, his expression solemn, standing proudly.

"Then come!"

The sword light of Wuduya’s Demon Sword suddenly grew several zhang longer, shifting to a brilliant blood-red. The cyan Flood Dragon image behind him became clearer, shaking its head and tail, ready to surge into the sky at any moment!

"Hah!"

Wuduya swung his sword light and slashed forward with all his might, expecting Feng Zikang to meet it with the iron pagoda, settling the matter of life and death in this one exchange!

What he received instead was a flash of white light.

Feng Zikang’s face twisted into a strange smile. The iron pagoda flew from his grasp, smashing directly into the sword light. With a deafening crash, it was shattered to pieces, while Feng Zikang sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the killing blow of the sword light. Then, his right hand opened, shooting out a sharp ray of white light!

It struck squarely, piercing Wuduya’s heart!

"I said we’d exchange final blows, but I never specified that my final blow had to be delivered with the iron pagoda..."

Feng Zikang slowly shook his head, then coughed several times, his face turning pale.

Wuduya stared in disbelief at the large hole suddenly appearing in his chest, blood plasma bubbling out with a gurgling sound. He gave a bitter smile and slumped down weakly.

"So... so that's how it is..."

He growled weakly with a wry smile, "In the end, I was not the Dragon of the Southern Barbarians after all!"

Wuduya crashed down, falling motionless, his eyes still fixed straight ahead, not yet closed!

Tens of thousands of barbarians wept aloud in their grief!

The cyan Flood Dragon behind him let out a mournful cry, suddenly shattered, transforming into a plume of green energy that shot towards the direction of Lizhou, vanishing instantly!

The world shook! The sky and clouds shifted color! The sky over the Southern Barbarians turned blood-red!

The death of Wuduya, the man bearing the Mandate of Heaven, had actually triggered a strange and unpredictable celestial phenomenon!

Amidst the earth-shattering turmoil, Feng Zikang’s expression remained unchanged. He pulled back his right hand, and a dark, black nail returned to it—the Heart-Piercing Nail, a magical artifact gifted by Elder Yun. With a single strike, it had indeed taken Wuduya’s life.

Simultaneously, his storage pouch vibrated, and a cyan bead floated out, transforming into a streak of azure light that flew directly back toward Dragon and Tiger Mountain.