The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 461 Clash of Thunder and Flame
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, streaks of electricity crackled and hissed as they shot out and spread throughout an area of ​​about three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Upon touching the swirling, flying grass, it instantly turned charred black with a soft snap.

It leaped onto a nearby tree, leaving behind charred marks as if it had been whipped with an electric current.

Bang!
Suddenly, a large hole appeared in the billowing dust, and a lightning dragon shot out, tearing through the air. The electric snakes surged wildly, rushing towards Xu Xingchen, who was three zhang away.

Xu Xingchen felt a faint stinging pain in his chest, but inwardly he wanted to roar to the sky with a sense of exhilaration.

The power of thunder and lightning!

Unexpectedly, Qiao Feng, the leader of the Qiao Clan, possessed a unique skill: he could manifest the power of thunder and lightning with his internal energy, condensing a dragon shape and shadow to launch an attack. His power was overwhelming and unparalleled, making him invincible on the battlefield.

In other words, Xu Xingchen's body was unusually strong. Even after being struck by Qiao Feng's palm, he did not lose his fighting ability and was not seriously injured.

If it were any other martial arts master, even someone as skilled as Murong Fu or Kumārajīva, taking a single blow from Qiao Feng would have resulted in them coughing up blood and suffering serious injuries.

The power of thunder and lightning was a force Xu Xingchen had never encountered before, which caused his fighting spirit to surge rapidly, making him want to have a good fight with Qiao Feng.

With a flick of his arm, a several-foot-long crimson ribbon, glowing with vibrant red light, shot out from his body, winding and dancing like a dragon. In an instant, it collided with the thunder and lightning dragon.

BOOM!

The dragon's roar, deep and muffled like thunder, shook the void.

The collision of thunder and fire exploded into a ring of mixed blue-white and fiery red energy, turning grass black, cracking tree bark, and causing wood cores to burst into flames wherever it went.

Although the flames only burned for a short time before extinguishing, leaving only billowing blue smoke, it proved that the aftershocks of the two people's energy possessed terrifying power.

"Master Xu, is this a miraculous technique you cultivated using the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms?"

Qiao Feng's tone was full of surprise, but his attacks did not stop. Sometimes he transformed into a lightning dragon, moving back and forth, shooting like lightning; sometimes he slapped his palm, and a lightning dragon shadow flashed in the air, landing on the ground, exploding into a sky full of soil, and blasting open a crater about ten feet in size.

"Chief Qiao, do you still believe that my Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are fake?"

As Xu Xingchen responded, she wielded a several-foot-long red ribbon, which danced and swirled like a dragon, using a combination of strength and gentleness to block Qiao Feng's repeated attacks of thunder and lightning; and she was always able to seize every opportunity to launch a counterattack.

"Whether it's true or not, Master Xu's martial arts skills are truly admirable!"

"Steve Jobs's thunderous power has truly broadened my horizons."

"If I didn't have to rush to preside over the Beggars' Sect's general meeting later, I would definitely have a good fight with Master Xu."

"Chief Qiao, don't be anxious. He might soon be defeated by me. In that case, it won't prevent you from attending the Beggars' Sect Assembly."

"Master Xu is far too confident."

"Whether you're confident or not, you'll know after you've played."

The two men provoked each other while fighting fiercely, their attacks becoming increasingly powerful and faster.

Duan Yu, watching from afar, saw the battle circle between the two growing larger and larger. He immediately retreated several dozen feet, channeling his inner strength into his eyes as he watched the intense battle unfold from a distance, secretly marveling at it.

But on the battlefield...

The lightning dragon, moving like lightning, leaped and flashed everywhere on the ground, in the trees, and in the air, so fast that it was dazzling and impossible to catch its trace.

Everywhere you go.

The grass, which would have turned black when it was electrocuted, began to pop and crackle into handfuls of charred powder, flashing with tiny sparks of electricity, before dissipating into the air with a crackling sound.

The trees that were touched cracked and snapped in two, one after another; the remaining power transformed into countless electric snakes, hissing and darting up and down, causing the dense canopy to tremble and the leaves to fall like rain; the roots buried in the soil were scorched by electricity, and blue smoke rose straight up.

Its power is so overwhelming and terrifying!
The several-foot-long red ribbon that Xu Xingchen wielded was also a combination of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms taught by Hong Qigong and his own fire power. It appeared as soft as a ribbon and as agile as a dragon or snake, but whenever it collided with the lightning dragon, it would unleash unparalleled fire power.

Every time the long red ribbon touched the ground, large patches of green grass instantly turned yellow and black; whenever it meandered across a long distance, it left behind artistic black scorch marks on the ground.

Occasionally, with a flick of its tail, the several-foot-long red ribbon would strike a nearby tree, causing it to burst into flames, snapping the tree and then blazing fiercely, quickly spreading throughout its entire body, transforming into a giant torch that scorched an area of ​​several feet in radius.

Then, amidst the aftershocks of the battle between the lightning dragon and the several-foot-long red ribbon, they exploded into countless star-like fireworks, dazzling and beautiful.

The collision between the lightning dragon shadow and the several-foot-long red ribbon was incredibly intense.

bang bang bang bang bang bang bang
A series of deafening explosions, like firecrackers during the Lunar New Year, echoed and reverberated continuously in the clearing of the woods. Lightning flashed, and the shadow of a dragon appeared and disappeared; red ribbons danced, swirling and coiling like a dragon.

Clusters of enormous fireworks, a mixture of bluish-white and fiery red, continuously bloomed in concentric rings, creating a magnificent and breathtaking spectacle.

This is not only a duel between two Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, but also a violent collision of thunder and fire power.

Two figures disappeared amidst the lightning and red ribbons, suddenly soaring into the sky and then suddenly falling back to the ground. They moved back and forth among the trees, intersecting and separating at times.

Duan Yu, watching from afar, was mesmerized and completely captivated.

In this fierce battle, Xu Xingchen clearly felt that Qiao Feng's fighting power was rising with the pressure he was putting on him, becoming more and more courageous and ferocious with each battle.

Logically speaking, Qiao Feng's skill level was far inferior to Xu Xingchen's. However, during battles, Qiao Feng would often unleash his full potential due to the pressure from powerful opponents, and even frequently perform beyond his usual level.

His unwavering character, unparalleled strength, extremely rich combat experience, and powerful aura
All these factors combined often allowed Qiao Feng to unleash the full power of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, even surpassing it, so that he could fight opponents stronger than himself without being at a disadvantage.

Such combat talent is one in a million, extremely rare in the world. Every one of them who appears will inevitably become an unparalleled master.

To defeat such a person, one would need an opponent whose skill far surpasses his; otherwise, it would be impossible.

Xu Xingchen is the former type of person.

Having cultivated for several lifetimes, his skill was so profound that even the three elders of the Xiaoyao Sect—Wu Yazi, Tianshan Tonglao, and Li Qiushui—could not compare to him.

In the world of Tianlong, Xu Xingchen only truly considered one opponent: the sweeping monk in the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Pavilion.

However, he has not yet reached the state of perfect harmony between heaven and man, and feels somewhat uncertain about facing the Sweeper Monk.

Therefore, in order to return to the supreme state of harmony between man and nature as soon as possible, he diligently cultivated himself every day without daring to slack off in the slightest.

In order to continue to improve his martial arts skills, he constantly fought against the world's top masters, absorbing the essence of their martial arts, and even sitting down to discuss with them to absorb their wisdom.

To achieve these goals, he fought fiercely with Duan Yanqing for half a day, battled with Kumārajīva for a long time, fought with Murong Fu for two or three hours, and was evenly matched with Qiao Feng in front of him.
During the battle with Qiao Feng, Xu Xingchen was amazed by Qiao Feng's keen combat talent and extraordinary ability to perceive his opponent's weaknesses.

However, in order not to let Qiao Feng miss the momentous event that would change the course of his life, he decided to end the battle as soon as possible.

"Chief Qiao, let's end this battle here. Be careful!"

Xu Xingchen's voice pierced through the intense bursts of energy, the crackling of thunder, and the explosions of flames, reaching Qiao Feng's ears.

next moment.

Qiao Feng then saw the several-foot-long red ribbon that was flying and swirling in the air be grabbed by Xu Xingchen's broad, fair hand. The red ribbon immediately shone brightly, and its power surged, as if it were about to burst into flames.

Then, Xu Xingchen waved his arm, and the several-foot-long red ribbon immediately transformed into a red whip shadow, tearing through the sky and striking the lightning dragon shadows that were shooting everywhere.

This whip strike was so fast it seemed even faster than lightning, leaving Qiao Feng no time to dodge.

Snapped!
A crisp sound echoed leisurely in the air above the woods.

The thunder dissipated, and lightning flashed, revealing a majestic and imposing figure inside, who somersaulted 720 degrees and landed on the ground below.

Qiao Feng quickly stood up and looked up at the figure slowly descending from the sky, who was retracting the several-foot-long red ribbon that was swirling around into his body. He looked surprised and astonished.

As the several-foot-long red ribbon spiraled and entered Xu Xingchen's body, his feet landed on the ground.

Qiao Feng clasped his hands in a fist salute, his face remaining impassive despite the immense shock and admiration within him: "I previously thought Master Xu was just spouting nonsense, but I never imagined that Master Xu's martial arts are truly unfathomable and unparalleled in the world; I have lost this sparring match!"

"As expected of Qiao Feng, he acknowledged his defeat with composure and still maintained his heroic spirit." Xu Xingchen felt that Qiao Feng had not failed to live up to his status as a hero in his heart. He smiled, clasped his hands, and said, "When Chief Qiao fights, he becomes stronger when facing stronger opponents, which is truly extraordinary."

This conflict, whether intentional or unintentional, between the two sides has thus come to an end.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qiao Feng said, "It's getting late, and I need to rush to Xingzilin to preside over the Beggars' Sect meeting. When I have some free time in the future, I will visit Master Xu at Xiaoyao Manor."

Xu Xingchen said meaningfully, "Chief Qiao, please go ahead. You might resign from your position as Chief of the Beggars' Sect soon. You can come and stay at my manor for a while when you have time."

Hearing the person opposite him utter such confusing words again, Qiao Feng's brows twitched slightly, and he stared intently at Xu Xingchen. After a long while, he slowly asked, "I wonder what Master Xu means by these words?"

Xu Xingchen waved his hand and said, "Go! Go! If you have any doubts or questions in the future, you can come and ask me. I know a little about many of the secrets of this world."

(End of this chapter)