A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 333 The Last Move Finally Made
Seeing Ni Qingfeng's sword thrusting towards him, Shangguan Yun snorted coldly. With a flick of his wrist, a clear dragon's roar resounded, and a sword light shot straight up, gleaming and eerie. A ball of crimson-black sword light collided with the clear, water-like sword light. The tips of the swords met with a clang, and the two sword lights clashed back and forth, neither giving way. The crimson-black sword light seemed to want to devour everything, while the clear sword light was full of vitality. The two completely different sword intents clashed, and the surrounding area was immediately filled with scattered sword energy. After only a few breaths, the crimson-black sword light suddenly swelled up, suppressing the clear sword light. Its momentum did not diminish, and it went straight for Ni Qingfeng.

Ni Qingfeng remained unmoved upon seeing this. With a flick of his wrist, the sword gleamed, and specks of purple light emerged from the blade, converging to form a purple vortex. The powerful crimson-black sword light rushed into it, but was completely refined without even splashing a drop of water.

Upon seeing this move, Shangguan Yun's expression changed slightly. His Youluo Sword Qi was always invincible, so why did it have no effect at all when it landed in that purple vortex?

"Where did Ni Qingfeng learn such profound and exquisite martial arts from?"

Shangguan Yun thought to himself that he had already combined the Dragon Pearl into one and was no longer afraid of anyone. However, Ni Qingfeng's method made him feel uneasy. Although he had other tricks up his sleeve, judging from Ni Qingfeng's appearance, he was clearly not going all out. He even brought out this purple vortex, so there must be an even more powerful ultimate move coming up.

Seeing that the Netherworld Sword Qi failed, Shangguan Yun moved around, and a flash of crimson-black light appeared around him. Suddenly, seven phantoms shot out from a thick, turbid cloud. Each one was identical to Shangguan Yun's main body, the only difference being the aura they exuded.

Eight figures shouted in unison, wielding swords and attacking from all directions. Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng flicked the purple vortex formed by his longsword forward, and a powerful suction force immediately pulled in one of the phantoms. The phantom was almost powerless to resist and was about to be sucked in when suddenly a shocking explosion was heard. The phantom exploded with a bang just half a foot away from the vortex, and the purple vortex was instantly torn apart. Just after the vortex was torn apart, three phantoms silently arrived from behind.

"Mystic Shadow Clone".

Ni Qingfeng was slightly surprised. He had seen Shangguan Yun use this technique before, but it was far less powerful than it was now. It could break his "Refining Void" technique, so it must have been aided by the Dragon Pearl.

Sensing the three phantoms approaching from behind, Ni Qingfeng remained motionless. A flash of clear light appeared around him, and two fine sword energies shot out. The black and white sword lights flashed and the three phantoms, still in their forward-charging posture, were instantly stripped of all their energy.

The three phantoms shattered like broken glass with a whoosh, while at the same time, the remaining four phantoms attacked from all sides. Among them, the one on the east side had the strongest aura and slashed horizontally with a sword, his face full of killing intent.

"You've deceived me with your deception, you've turned Yin and Yang upside down. Shangguan Yun, do you think I'd fall for your tricks?"

Ni Qingfeng glanced at the phantom with the strongest aura. His sword gleamed, and with a deep shout, he spun around, sending four sharp sword lights hurtling towards the four phantoms. Three of the phantoms were shattered almost instantly, but the one in the east remained standing and even managed to cut the incoming sword light in half.

At that moment, a glint flashed in Ni Qingfeng's eyes. He leaped forward, his longsword humming as it unleashed a series of dazzling sword lights. The phantom's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he hastily retreated. However, at that moment, his body suddenly froze, and as he looked on in astonishment, the sword light struck him squarely on the head. But at that instant, a meaningful smile appeared on Ni Qingfeng's face.

With a hissing sound, the sword flashed by. Ni Qingfeng held the sword upside down and blocked it with his backhand. There was a sound of metal clashing, and the two forces of true energy collided. Both of them were forced back several steps at the same time.

"Shangguan Yun, you really won't die so easily."

Ni Qingfeng turned around, his long sword pointing into the distance, a flash of cold light appearing. Looking at the unharmed aura, he showed no surprise.

"But I was still one step behind, and you saw through my mistake. However, I didn't lose out this time. At least I verified one thing."

Shangguan Yun looked at Ni Qingfeng with a calm expression. A ball of crimson-black light flickered with electricity in his outstretched left hand, and an aura of destruction made Ni Qingfeng's expression become much more solemn.

"Oh, I'm all ears."

Ni Qingfeng looked at Shangguan Yun with curiosity, then glanced at the crimson-black light sphere before looking away.

"Firstly, your injuries haven't fully healed. Secondly, your body has certain limitations. Once these limits are exceeded, your body won't be able to withstand it. Isn't that something to be happy about for me?"

At this moment, Shangguan Yun was extremely excited. When he had just exchanged blows at close range, he had already sensed that Ni Qingfeng's aura was somewhat unstable. Now, with the help of the Dragon Ball, he could easily see the opponent's weakness: that was, the opponent could not use his ultimate move for a long time. Once that happened, he would be the first to succumb to the pressure before he could even make a move.

"Indeed, it is true that my injuries have not fully healed and that my body has limitations, but so what? As long as I can resolve this matter before it occurs, everything will be worthwhile. Shangguan Yun, show me your full strength, otherwise, I don't know how many moves you can withstand."

As soon as Ni Qingfeng finished speaking, a bright light shone from his body, and the longsword in his hand transformed into a dazzling sword of light. With a slash in the void, lightning flashed and stars flew, and the world seemed to flicker for a moment. An aura of annihilation and lifelessness immediately enveloped Shangguan Yun. The latter sensed the abnormality in the aura around him but his expression remained unchanged. He roared angrily, and a crimson-black dragon-shaped aura suddenly appeared on his body. The dragon raised its head and roared wildly. Shangguan Yun condensed his true energy, raised his hand, and unleashed a powerful palm strike. Terrifying dragon roars resounded through the sky as the dragon-shaped palm strike collided with the sword of light that tore through the heavens.

With several loud explosions, the surrounding white ground was instantly ravaged again, sinking three feet into the ground. The turbid air and dust rose straight into the sky and lingered for a long time. Ni Qingfeng took two steps back, swept away the turbid air in front of him with a wave of his sleeve, and looked ahead. Suddenly, he found that in mid-air, a domineering figure stood still, looking down at him.

Just as Ni Qingfeng spotted Shangguan Yun, the latter also spotted him. Without a word, black light surged in Shangguan Yun's palm, and a ball of crimson palm energy pressed down from the sky. The invisible force instantly calmed the surrounding air currents and dust, while Ni Qingfeng, who was under the palm, felt a powerful pressure that seemed to want to crush him.

"drink!"

Ni Qingfeng straightened his expression, held the long sword upside down, and brought the index and middle fingers of his left hand together in front of his chest. He circulated his true energy and pointed upwards. Streams of frost-white energy condensed into ice pillars, steadily supporting the palm energy that was pressing down from the sky. No matter how hard the palm energy was applied, the five thin ice pillars remained unmoved.

"Good trick, but useless." Shangguan Yun sneered. With a thought, the palm energy suddenly dissipated, turning into wisps of crimson-black energy that coiled around the ice pillars. The originally tough ice pillars were now being eroded by the crimson-black energy, and cracks appeared at a visible speed. A few breaths later, the five ice pillars snapped at the same time with a crack, and the scattered ice shards mixed with the crimson-black energy turned into ice blades that shot towards Ni Qingfeng.

Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng raised his aura, and the ice shards that hit it either shattered or were deflected. After a full quarter of an hour, the ice shards slowly disappeared. When Ni Qingfeng cleared away the lingering turbid air in front of him, he found that Shangguan Yun was nowhere to be seen. With a thought, a golden aura needle appeared in his hand. He channeled his true energy into it, and the needle immediately pointed in a certain direction. A glint flashed in Ni Qingfeng's eyes, and he released his hand. The golden aura needle shot through the void like an arrow, heading towards an uninhabited place.

With a clang, the golden needle was struck by a sword light and shattered instantly. However, this also exposed Shangguan Yun's whereabouts. Before Shangguan Yun could make a move, Ni Qingfeng's body flashed with a clear light, and a dazzling radiance flashed from the longsword. Just as Shangguan Yun couldn't help but close his eyes, Ni Qingfeng's figure instantly disappeared from the spot. When he reappeared, he had already pierced Shangguan Yun's chest with a sword.

However, this sword strike made Ni Qingfeng frown, because it seemed as if the sword had pierced not flesh and blood, but an extremely hard stone. Feeling the vibration from the sword, Ni Qingfeng raised his left palm, and his Yin-Yang Palm clashed with Shangguan Yun's Crimson Gold Palm. The two palm forces were evenly matched, going back and forth, stirring up a raging storm, and the swirling wind enveloped the two of them.

Ni Qingfeng sensed the sinister power emanating from the other side and immediately recognized it as the Dragon Fiend. He then let out a deep shout, and a flash of crimson light appeared on his left hand as a stream of pure Yang energy flowed directly into Shangguan Yun's arm. Ni Qingfeng's sudden change of move caught Shangguan Yun off guard, causing his internal energy to stagnate. He then felt a sharp pain in his chest, and Shangguan Yun's ferocity flared up. His eyes turned completely red, his hair ornament fell loose, and he roared wildly. Ni Qingfeng received another palm strike, and Shangguan Yun withdrew his sword and retreated.

"Shifting tendons and changing meridians!"

Shangguan Yun's upper body was tattered, revealing his solid chest. However, in Ni Qingfeng's eyes, all he could see were veins throbbing continuously, and these acupoints were constantly changing as Shangguan Yun breathed and circulated his qi.

Shangguan Yun stared at Ni Qingfeng with bloodshot eyes. Crimson-black light shot into the sky from his body, transforming into a skeleton general wearing armor and holding a long spear. Underneath the helmet, apart from two crimson-black orbs of light, the rest was empty. Ni Qingfeng looked at the general with a solemn expression. This skeleton general was transformed from a dragon demon. Ordinary people would have their souls stolen just by looking at him, and would become Shangguan Yun's puppet.

"You've even brought out the Dragon Fiend, Shangguan Yun. You've run out of tricks. Since that's the case, I'll see you off."

Ni Qingfeng coldly looked at the roaring general and the fanatical Shangguan Yun, and then used his divine sense to communicate with his main body, which was far away in the Tianshan Grottoes.

In a grotto somewhere in the Tianshan Mountains, Gu Xu sat on a stone platform, surrounded by a colorful light that illuminated a beautiful landscape. Just then, Gu Xu sensed a message from his clone. With a thought, a clear light flashed between his brows. Gu Xu then closed his eyes and focused on comprehending the newly created grotto.

Seeing that Ni Qingfeng remained motionless, Shangguan Yun, unaware of what had happened to him, instantly ordered the skeleton general to charge forward. Rolling black clouds and thick, murky fog surged towards Ni Qingfeng like a tidal wave, attempting to engulf him. At the same time, a flash of crimson-black light appeared on Shangguan Yun's hand as he continuously poured his inner energy into his longsword. Before long, the longsword hummed, and a crimson-black sword mark slashed through the air, directly striking Ni Qingfeng. Where the sword mark passed, the void was torn apart.

The ghost general, formed from the fierce aura of the dragon, raised his spear high and thrust it straight down. The light of the Netherworld Sword flashed and flew, aiming straight for Ni Qingfeng's brow. The two powerful forces instantly tore through the aura shield around Ni Qingfeng and rushed towards his body with unparalleled might. Just then, a clear light suddenly rose from Ni Qingfeng's body, and a ball of soft clear light fell from above his head. Inside, a treasure mirror with a clear and bright light floated up and down.

"This is!"

Upon seeing the strange phenomena on Ni Qingfeng's body and the blurry mirror-like object, Shangguan Yun felt a sense of foreboding. He sensed the dragon pearl within his body constantly agitating and recklessly drew upon his inner energy to continuously supply the Dragon Demon General, hoping it could kill Ni Qingfeng first.

However, Shangguan Yun's actions were futile. The clear light spread like water, and the incoming Youluo sword energy was refined away after being illuminated by the clear light with a few hissing sounds. Only the Dragon Demon was still struggling to hold on, but looking at the gradually thinning Dragon Demon on its body, it could be dealt with in a short while at most.

"This treasure is indeed extraordinary. Even if I could deal with that Dragon Demon Ghost General, it would still take me a lot of effort."

Ni Qingfeng, his face slightly pale, looked at the Tranquil Soul Cleansing Mirror in the sky, which was constantly radiating clear light. He continuously absorbed and refined the dragon's evil energy. The more he absorbed, the brighter the clear light became. This was only because his power was insufficient. Otherwise, if he used his full strength, the dragon's evil ghost general would only last a few breaths at most.

As Shangguan Yun watched the ghost general being gradually enveloped by the clear light, his face immediately turned ugly. Now, even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't. He was connected to the ghost general by energy and was now locked onto by the mirror. If there was any unusual movement, he had no doubt that this thing would abandon the ghost general and rush straight at him.

"Now there is only one last way." After struggling for a moment, Shangguan Yun made a decision and separated the dragon pearl that had been fused into one within his body. As he slowly peeled the dragon pearl from his flesh, his aura suddenly weakened, but when he held the dragon pearl tightly in his hand, his aura returned to normal.

"go with!"

Looking at the tattered ghost general in the sky, Shangguan Yun threw the dragon pearl in his hand at the mirror. He knew that Ni Qingfeng was relying on this treasure. As long as he could break it, he would continue to lose.

With a whoosh, the Dragon Ball transformed into a streak of crimson-black light and shot towards the Soul-Cleansing Mirror. The tattered ghost was pierced through by the Dragon Ball and instantly turned into wisps of yin energy that merged into it. With this assistance, the Dragon Ball's light brightened slightly, carrying immense power and howling winds and thunder as it fiercely attacked.

The Tranquil Soul Mirror, already possessing spiritual power, sensed a surge of extremely yin energy approaching. Instantly, its surface seemed to respond, radiating a bright, clear light that condensed into a beam of light that shot directly towards the Dragon Pearl. Although the Dragon Pearl was originally a spiritual object of heaven and earth, it was still far inferior to this superior treasure that had undergone tribulation and awakened its spiritual power. The beam of clear light struck the Dragon Pearl squarely, immediately forcing it to retreat. Before it could react, the Dragon Pearl was already surrounded by a ball of clear light, and within it, azure flames ignited, continuously refining the Dragon Pearl.

"puff!"

The Dragon Ball and Shangguan Yun were connected by their energies. When the Dragon Ball was struck, Shangguan Yun also took the brunt of the blow, spitting out blood and turning pale.

(End of this chapter)