A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 325 The Power of a Single Strike

Ni Qingfeng looked at the crimson-black clouds surrounding Shangguan Yun in the distance and the three dragon pearls that were gradually becoming demonized. He sighed, then his eyes sharpened, and the increasingly sharp sword light in his hand suddenly subsided. The sky brightened and dimmed for a moment, and the cold moonlight in the sky also dimmed a lot, as if all the light was absorbed by the sword light, forming a celestial sword light that pierced through the sky.

Meanwhile, the crimson-black clouds around Shangguan Yun gradually solidified. Under Shangguan Yun's control, the clouds surged endlessly, and skull eyes composed of crimson-black clouds emerged with a green light. In just a few breaths, hundreds or even thousands of skulls lined up around the crimson-black clouds, like stars surrounding the moon. However, the eerie demonic aura soared straight into the sky, deepening the darkness of the night sky, as if it were painted with thick ink.

"Ni Qingfeng, just how much power do you have left? I refuse to believe you can survive the full force of three Dragon Balls!"

Shangguan Yun's eyes flashed with crimson light, and with a deep shout, the dozens of cloud-like skeletons lined up in front of him attacked Ni Qingfeng like lightning. Upon seeing this, the latter simply pointed his finger, and an ice screen reappeared in front of him, blocking the attack.

"It's that trick again."

Seeing Ni Qingfeng unleash the Ice Soul Cold Light again, Shangguan Yun was not alarmed but delighted. With a wave of his right hand, dozens more cloud-like skeletons shot out. The previous dozens of cloud-like skeletons crashed into the ice curtain one after another, and there were only loud explosions. The ice curtain was shaken violently. After the cloud-like skeletons exploded, they did not dissipate, but instead condensed again with the remaining cloud energy, launching a second attack with the later cloud-like skeletons. This time the power was even greater. The ice curtain only lasted for half a moment before it shattered. The cloud-like skeletons that had not been completely exhausted rushed through the broken ice curtain and attacked Ni Qingfeng.

However, the dozens of cloud skeletons paused a few feet away from Ni Qingfeng, then exploded in mid-air, turning into clumps of crimson-black clouds that surged and tried to coalesce, but were scattered by dense crimson sword energy and instantly refined by the flames.

"So there was sword energy protecting me."

As expected, Shangguan Yun looked at the crimson sword energy swirling around Ni Qingfeng. This sword energy was extremely powerful in refining, but all its moves were based on true qi. Now that he had completely refined the Dragon Pearl and entered the Innate Realm, his true qi was virtually inexhaustible. He simply did not believe that Ni Qingfeng could surpass him in true qi.

Thinking of this, Shangguan Yun shouted, and this time, a thousand cloud skeletons rushed towards Ni Qingfeng like a tidal wave, with a huge momentum, like ferocious beasts appearing in the world, wanting to devour the sword light standing on Tianshan Mountain.

Those watching the battle from inside the mountain gate were all horrified when they saw Shangguan Yun unleash this move. The leaders of the sects that had been annexed were especially shocked. They realized that Shangguan Yun had only used less than one-tenth of his power to deal with them. If he had made such a powerful move from the start, they would not have been so unwilling to accept defeat and might have switched allegiance to the Zhongxin Hall and become loyal supporters.

Some people's eyes flickered, and they couldn't help but change their minds and consider the possibility of choosing to pledge allegiance again. Shen Henian seemed to sense something, glanced at those people with ulterior motives, and couldn't help but snort coldly. These people were all short-sighted and only cared about their immediate interests. No wonder Shangguan Yun looked down on them.

Shen Henian's cold snort brought those who were lost in their thoughts of seeking other allies back to reality. They glanced at Shen Henian and the others, whose faces were not pleasant, and awkwardly turned their heads away to look at the two sides fighting in the distance.

"I have never seen Shangguan Yun's move before, and I sensed a very evil aura from it. This aura does not belong to the mortal world. If I am not mistaken, it should be related to the Dragon Pearl."

Xue Wanshan benefited greatly from the Dragon Ball, so he could naturally distinguish the evil aura that was completely opposite to the righteous power of the Dragon Ball. It was definitely the Dragon Fiend. Moreover, this Dragon Fiend was not just a trace like before. He wondered if Junior Brother Ni could withstand so much Dragon Fiend.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, look at Junior Brother Ni's calm demeanor. He must be very confident. There shouldn't be any problems. We should have faith in him."

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan nodded to Li Dengping and affirmed, "Junior Sister is absolutely right. Junior Brother Ni is certainly safe and sound."

Seeing Xue Wanshan's slightly worried expression, Bi Yusheng said, "Sect Leader Xue, you can rest assured. Now that Shangguan Yun has made the first move, Daoist Ni has gained the upper hand. Moreover, Daoist Ni's sword light has been gathering power but has not yet been unleashed. If it has enough power, this sword strike should end this battle."

Bi Yusheng's words were well thought out. Although Shangguan Yun's cloud skeleton, activated by the Dragon Ball, was powerful, it was first blocked by the ice curtain and then refined by the sword energy. It could not disrupt Ni Qingfeng's power accumulation in a short time. Unless Shangguan Yun launched another counterattack, he would surely die once the light sword fell.

Lu Aotian and his wife agreed. They were both very sensitive to swords, and their eyes had not left the sword since it appeared. The sword contained profound sword techniques, and if they could understand and digest even a little of it, it would surely improve their sword skills.

"This sword conceals its aurora, holding back its power. Even before it is unleashed, its terrifying force is already terrifying. Perhaps Shangguan Yun's first move was due to his fear of this thunderous strike. Sect Leader Xue, we cannot deal with Shangguan Yun, but this Qi Skeleton, combined with the strength of a few of us, might buy some time for Daoist Ni. What do you think, Sect Leader Xue?"

Lu Aotian was eager to try. After this short rest and taking some pills, plus the heavenly light that Ni Qingfeng had sprinkled on him, his strength had recovered to 80%.

Upon hearing this, Bi Yusheng and the others also turned their gazes over. Now they were on the same side as the Tianshan Sect, and Ni Qingfeng was their last hope. If they could buy some time for Ni Qingfeng, the price would be worth it.

However, to their surprise, Xue Wanshan, after pondering for a long time, refused the offer, as he watched the cloud-like skeletons constantly battling against the ice curtain sword energy in the distance. He had his reasons for doing so.

"I understand your good intentions, but I think it's best not to interfere without authorization. Our strength is insufficient. If we rush in rashly, it's not that I underestimate you, but that cloud skeleton is formed from the power of the Dragon Pearl and is extremely powerful. If we are careless, we will be seriously injured or even killed. Not only will we not be able to help Junior Brother Ni, but we will also distract him, which would be a loss. I believe that Junior Brother Ni can definitely deal with Shangguan Yun. You should wait patiently and provide support at any time. It's not too late to act when the situation becomes critical."

After Xue Wanshan finished speaking, Bi Yusheng and Lu Aotian both nodded and fell silent, remaining vigilant and awaiting reinforcements. They looked up at the fierce battle in the distance, where crimson-black light and blue ice currents collided, creating streaks of light that flashed and disappeared like shooting stars—a magnificent sight. Ni Qingfeng saw that the cloud of skeletons was increasing in number, and the three layers of ice curtain were gradually becoming unsustainable. He raised his left hand, and a solid ball of azure light quickly entered the ice curtain. The blue ice curtain trembled slightly, and dense cracks spread at a visible speed. The azure color also began to turn azure. An arc-shaped light shield appeared three inches outside the ice curtain. The cloud of skeletons that collided with the ice curtain exploded upon impact, and their regrouping speed suddenly slowed down. What would normally regroup in three breaths would now take at least five breaths after the appearance of the azure light shield.

Upon seeing this, Shangguan Yun's pupils constricted slightly, then his eyes flashed with a fierce light. He raised his hands high, and thousands of skeletons surrounding the crimson-black clouds swept towards Ni Qingfeng like locusts, blotting out the sky and the moon. This time, their power was even greater than before. The cyan light barrier was broken through after only half a moment. Although the ice barrier was tough, the cloud-like skeletons crashed into one place after another, and in no time, a hole as tall as a person was carved out. The remaining cloud-like skeletons immediately lined up neatly and charged towards the sword energy in front of them.

Shangguan Yun knew that the sword energy was difficult to deal with, so he used a hundred against one, relying on numbers to win. Hundreds of skeletons blocked a sword energy. No matter how powerful the sword energy was, it gradually lost its effectiveness under constant consumption. After a while, the sword energy in the sky had dissipated without a trace, but only two hundred of the thousands of skeletons remained, and they were almost completely broken. The green light occasionally shone faintly, as if a gust of wind could blow them out.

Seeing that Ni Qingfeng was now unprotected and that the soaring sword light was still gathering power, Xue Wanshan and the others who were watching the battle exchanged glances. Xue Wanshan took the lead and moved in an instant, closing to within ten feet of the two sides in the blink of an eye. Looking at the skeletons floating in mid-air, Xue Wanshan reached out and pulled them, and a clear sword sound rang out, instantly attracting the two hundred skeletons.

At this moment, Shangguan Yun was also attracted by Xue Wanshan's actions. His eyes glowed even more intensely with crimson light. With a thought, fifty of the two hundred skeletons flew towards Xue Wanshan.

"If it could absorb Xue Wanshan's flesh and blood, it would add a bit more ferocity to the skeleton. However, Ni Qingfeng would definitely not stand idly by. But if it could slightly hinder him from condensing his sword light, this hall master would not suffer any loss."

Shangguan Yun naturally knew the power of Ni Qingfeng's soaring sword light. If it were when he was at his peak, facing it head-on wouldn't be a big deal. However, he had been defeated by Ni Qingfeng three times in a row, and his energy and spirit were not at their peak. Even if his true energy was sufficient, he could only ensure that his physical body would not be damaged. Ni Qingfeng's sword light, on the other hand, made his mind unstable. If he were to be struck, the destruction of his soul and spirit would not be a joke.

“Ni Qingfeng’s move is more intimidating than effective. If he uses it, even if he is a master of innate level, his foundation will be completely destroyed. As long as I act carefully, I may be able to trick him into making a move.”

Shangguan Yun was calculating in his mind. Over there, Xue Wanshan had already killed a skeleton with a single sword strike. However, the skeleton would scatter and then reassemble. Although its power was weakened, it became even more troublesome. Moreover, the skeleton seemed to be very sensitive to blood energy. Whenever Xue Wanshan channeled his true energy to control his sword and kill an enemy, the skeletons would follow him around like shadows, constantly absorbing the blood energy around Xue Wanshan from a distance of about a foot.

Seeing this, Xue Wanshan frowned. His longsword flashed, and a sword beam about an inch long extended out, slashing down on a skeleton. The skeleton was instantly refined by the sword beam, but the originally bright sword beam also dimmed a bit. After killing dozens more skeletons, the brilliant sword beam was already very dim, and a thin layer of blood aura covered the sword. If this sword had not been forged from black iron through countless hammerings and had not been infused with true qi, it would probably have become a pile of scrap iron by now.

Xue Wanshan held off a portion of the skeletons, while Bi Yusheng and the Black and White Heroes each entangled thirty skeletons. After several exchanges, the group, driven by their indomitable spirit, gradually gained the upper hand, and the hundreds of skeletons that Shangguan Yun had created were almost entirely wiped out.

Driven by Shangguan Yun, the remaining hundred skeletons rushed towards Ni Qingfeng while Xue Wanshan and the others were being held back.

However, just as the skeleton flew away, the three dragon balls around Shangguan Yun suddenly dimmed, and his true energy became chaotic. Shangguan Yun's expression changed drastically, and he immediately circulated his true energy to suppress the chaotic internal energy. However, as soon as he finished doing this, the dragon balls returned to their original state. After Shangguan Yun noticed this, he felt relieved, but the doubt on his face still lingered.

Why is the Dragon Ball like this?

Just as Shangguan Yun was pondering, he suddenly noticed that the soaring sword light opposite him had slowly receded, condensing into a ball of light that landed in Ni Qingfeng's hand.

"hateful!"

Shangguan Yun's heart sank. He activated his mind, and the hundreds of skeletons rushed towards Ni Qingfeng at an even faster speed. However, at this moment, Shangguan Yun turned his body halfway. A moment later, a crimson flame exploded in the night sky not far away, forming a mysterious rune. Xue Wanshan, who was fighting with the skeletons at this moment, immediately showed joy upon seeing this.

"Chief Chamu has succeeded."

Xue Wanshan rallied his spirits, and his longsword shone brightly once more. The eight charging skeletons were sliced ​​flat by his sword. With a flick of the sword, several soft explosions rang out, scattering into wisps of turbid air. The sword light stirred, and a gale swept them away.

Meanwhile, the dozen or so skeletons that were besieging Bi Yusheng and the Black and White Duo paused slightly. The three of them noticed the change and realized that they could not miss the opportunity. They each used their best moves to completely eliminate the last dozen or so skeletons. The three of them collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, with beads of sweat rolling down their faces.

Ni Qingfeng had already sensed the change in the Dragon Pearl before the flames appeared. He immediately condensed his sword light into a beam, looked at the charging cloud skeleton, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, and the sword light in his hand suddenly shone brightly, shooting towards Shangguan Yun like lightning.

In the pitch-black night sky, a beam of extremely bright light flashed and disappeared, the sound of a sword echoing throughout the entire mountain, lingering for a long time. Shangguan Yun saw the sword light flying towards him, and immediately his mind turned, using hundreds of skeletons to block it in front of him. With his other hands, he pushed forward sharply, and the crimson-black clouds protecting him also blocked it in front of him. Crimson lightning and thunder surged within, and the black and crimson clouds rolled endlessly, enveloping half of the mountain. In an instant, a gale howled, and sand and stones flew everywhere.

The sword light was extremely fast, its momentum like the collapse of the sky, its speed like lightning, its sword light like a cold star, its fierce light wrapped around it, its thunder patterns complementing it, its momentum was majestic and powerful. In one strike, it instantly refined the hundreds of skeletons, and its momentum did not diminish. It struck the constantly surging red and black clouds with unwavering force.

A breathtaking scene unfolded as the crimson-black clouds were cleanly cleaved in two by the sword light, as thin as paper. A clear sword mark in the middle radiated a scorching heat, but the sword light seemed largely unaffected, its momentum even stronger as it charged straight toward Shangguan Yun!

(End of this chapter)