Tyrant Sky Martial Soul
Chapter 1256: Truly Not Weak

Chapter 1256: Chapter 1256: Truly Not Weak

"What a worthy opponent!"

Though at a disadvantage, Ling Xiao showed no fear. Instead, his face lit up with excitement.

He was thoroughly enjoying this fight.

Even as he spoke, his movements didn’t stop for a moment. After dodging Xiao Zhan’s attack, Ling Xiao casually unleashed a Crimson Sun Cone.

The blinding brightness of the Crimson Sun Cone made it easy to spot, but its destructive power far outstripped the Shadow Cone.

At such close range, Ling Xiao was certain that evading it would be a challenge for Xiao Zhan.

"Interesting, kid!"

Xiao Zhan’s face flashed with a hint of surprise, but that expression quickly transformed into excitement and fervor.

This guy was also a battle fanatic, much like Ling Xiao.

Unable to dodge Ling Xiao’s attack, Xiao Zhan decided not to try.

Where the Crimson Sun Cone was about to strike, the originally roaring flames suddenly solidified, appearing like freshly congealed lava.

Heavy and searing hot.

Bang!

The Crimson Sun Cone struck the solidified flames, emitting a muffled explosion, and instantly disintegrated.

However, the unexpected attack still caused Xiao Zhan to suffer a minor setback, forcing him to retreat half a step.

Though it was only half a step—given that he was a master of the Second Dongtian Realm—being pushed back by a Ten Directions Heaven Cultivation martial artist was nothing short of disgraceful.

In an instant, his retreat turned into an aggressive advance.

Ling Xiao’s attack ultimately failed to harm him.

There was no way around it—such was the reality of the vast disparity in cultivation level.

Xiao Zhan rebounded like a spring, conjuring a blazing Flame Lance in both hands, which he thrust straight at Ling Xiao’s head.

This reaction was no surprise to Ling Xiao, so he had already made thorough preparations.

If Xiao Zhan didn’t even have this level of skill, Ling Xiao wouldn’t have bothered fighting him, opting instead to use his other powers to finish him off.

As the Flame Lance charged forward, Ling Xiao’s Ghost Shadow Sword simultaneously pierced out.

On the Ghost Shadow Sword, a conical force formed from light and shadow pulsed with explosive power.

Then, the two weapons collided once again.

"Boom!"

The fierce impact of energy blasted outward, sending numerous tables and chairs flying.

Cracks even appeared beneath their feet.

It should be noted that this massive ship was the most advanced creation of the White Tiger Continent’s mechanical puppet technology, with a deck durable enough to withstand the full-strength strike of a Cave Heaven Realm martial artist.

From this, it was clear: though the attacks between them didn’t appear particularly flashy, they carried devastating force—moves meant to kill with precision.

This clash made Ling Xiao grunt as he was forced into a rapid retreat.

Had it been anyone else, they would have surely been humiliated.

Yet Ling Xiao managed to overpower the momentum, skillfully leveraging his exceptional body movement technique. With a series of graceful backflips, he landed steadily on the ship’s railing.

Xiao Zhan was pushed back again. Although it was just a single step, the humiliation was enough to completely unbalance the self-assured Marshal Raging Flames.

He had initiated the fight but failed to swiftly defeat Ling Xiao—an extraordinary embarrassment, especially with so many people watching. And above all, under the gaze of Princess Emma Ya Cloud!

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged several blows. The seemingly rapid duel was fraught with hidden dangers; a single misstep would result in ruthless brutality from the other side.

No one had anticipated such a scenario.

To them, this should have been Ling Xiao’s moment of disgrace.

It should have been Marshal Raging Flames violently crushing the Heavenly Dynasty’s Emperor.

Yet now, they stared at Ling Xiao with astonishment.

This young alchemist, the youngest founding emperor of the Mysterious World, this martial artist with merely Ten Directions Heavenly Cultivation, was holding his ground against Xiao Zhan—a master military strategist.

He even surpassed him in certain moves.

It was precisely these ingenious shifts that enabled Ling Xiao to avoid defeat during their lightning-fast collisions.

Among the attendees at today’s banquet, Ling Xiao’s cultivation level was likely the lowest.

After all, those invited by Medicine King Sun Ran were mostly Cave Heaven Realm martial artists, including the disciples from Changle Immortal Island.

These individuals had witnessed the risk and thrill of the previous battle.

The fact that Ling Xiao could counter Xiao Zhan’s attacks and even fight back was truly remarkable.

After all, Marshal Raging Flames Xiao Zhan was one of the Divine Phoenix Empire’s Thirteen Divine Generals—a renowned powerhouse across the Divine Phoenix Continent.

His unparalleled prowess on the battlefield had earned him thousands of victories.

If not for his strength and valor, Fengming Qishan wouldn’t have included him among the Thirteen Divine Generals.

This man’s fury was so intense that he dared assault martial artists with higher cultivation if provoked.

Yet, facing Ling Xiao, he couldn’t gain the upper hand.

Of course, given the battle was aboard a ship, Xiao Zhan didn’t dare exert his full strength—otherwise, destroying the vessel would incur Medicine King Sun Ran’s wrath, leading to serious troubles.

Though he was brash and hot-headed, he wasn’t stupid.

The real question was: had Ling Xiao even used his full strength?

Many had heard of Ling Xiao’s ability to summon gigantic skeletons, but today it was evident he hadn’t employed such powers.

Neither combatant went all out, yet Xiao Zhan’s higher cultivation couldn’t secure him an edge—which explained the astonishment of the spectators.

"Could the rumors be true? Is Ling Xiao’s combat ability truly formidable?"

Ji Luoyu gazed at Ling Xiao with a trace of surprise in her eyes.

Though she didn’t know Xiao Zhan well, her sharp perception revealed that Xiao Zhan had already utilized virtually all his techniques and experience—save for Second Dongtian Realm inner strength—and remained incapable of overwhelming Ling Xiao.

Instead, their battle seemed evenly matched.

This Ling Xiao might be far stronger than she initially thought.

Dan Qing’s expression was far from pleasant. He had eagerly awaited Ling Xiao’s crushing defeat and earlier uttered words of mockery, claiming that challenging Xiao Zhan was courting death.

In the current situation, he found himself facing utter embarrassment.

Hearing Ji Luoyu’s praise for Ling Xiao, his frustration only deepened, and he muttered coldly, "It’s just the constraints of this environment holding back Marshal Raging Flames Xiao Zhan. Otherwise, Ling Xiao would have already lost this fight."

"Perhaps, but don’t forget, Brother Dan Qing, Ling Xiao is just at the early stages of Ten Directions Heaven cultivation. Even with limitations on his opponent, what he has achieved is still worthy of admiration."

Ji Luoyu held some resentment toward Ling Xiao but didn’t entirely dislike him. Her preferences were clear—admiration for the strong and disdain for the weak.

Though this mindset was somewhat utilitarian, it was undeniably practical.

As the disciple of Medicine King Sun Ran, Ji Luoyu had encountered countless experts. If someone lacked special qualities, she wouldn’t even spare them a glance.

"Tch!"

Dan Qing scoffed at her words, his mood growing increasingly foul. However, he knew better than to provoke Ji Luoyu, as offending Medicine King Sun Ran would bring no benefits.

Besides, he had studied under Sun Ran briefly, effectively making him a half-disciple.