Chapter 48

Boom!

His inner strength surged like a mountain flood bursting forth, his aura swelling violently, shaking his clothes into motion without wind, fluttering loudly.

His entire skin glowed, as if he had truly become an angry-eyed Vajra, faintly echoing with the roars of dragon and elephant from within, his presence astonishing.

"Get lost!"

Qin Shuo roared in anger, sensing danger.

The Thirty-Six Paths White Ape Tiangang Saber descended like a mountain flood, sweeping horizontally and vertically, slanting and thrusting straight, all greeting Yuan Gang's body.

Clang clang clang clang!

The iron-on-iron impact echoed through the Black Dragon Stronghold.

The mountain bandits watching the training ground saw the two figures collide like savage wilderness beasts, their eyes wide, mouths dry, utterly shocked.

If such power fell upon them, they would likely be torn to pieces in an instant.

Qin Shuo moved like a spiritual ape, his saber like an ape's arm.

His snow-white long saber seemed to cleave the Milky Way, its force raging like a torrential river, pouring out continuously, relentlessly hacking at Yuan Gang.

He pushed his saber technique to the extreme, the saber intent of the first thirty-five forms of the White Ape Tiangang Saber flowing like water through his heart, transforming into vast saber light that enveloped Yuan Gang.

Clang clang clang clang!

The clanging sound echoed through the mountains and forests!

Yuan Gang also unleashed his fury, relying on his indestructible Dragon Elephant Golden Body to clash head-on with Qin Shuo.

This external martial art he practiced had an extraordinary origin, sufficient to overwhelm most Inner Strength Great Perfection martial artists.

Yet at this moment he could not overcome Qin Shuo for a long time, which stirred a restless feeling in his heart.

In contrast, Qin Shuo grew braver with each battle, his long saber like a silk thread of the Milky Way, each move and style flowing with saber intent, as if seeking to merge with his saber.

Clang!

Another fierce collision!

Both sides retreated ten or so steps.

Yuan Gang felt the sharpness on Qin Shuo's saber increasing, nearly breaking through his inner strength defense, nearly cutting his skin!

"How is this possible? His strength is growing!"

Yuan Gang's heart leapt, a bad premonition rising.

"Indeed, only in a life-and-death battle can one truly comprehend saber intent." Qin Shuo felt enlightenment arise in his heart.

No wonder when he previously fused the saber intent of the thirty-five Tiangang Saber forms, his progress had always been slow, and even now he had only fused seven forms, far from the Three Origins Merging into One, strength transforming into blade, still distant.

It turned out the problem lay in his refinement method!

Although he usually sparred with Lin Feng, Song Yan, and others to hone his saber technique, such exchanges he could not fully let go in.

Only now, in the life-and-death battle with Yuan Gang, did he realize,

This final form, White Ape Splits the Mountain, must fuse the strength flow and saber intent of the previous thirty-five forms, and only in battle can it be completed swiftly.

Such a life-and-death battle far surpasses ordinary sparring, capable of elevating his spirit, will, and reaction to a peak, fully focused, solely to deliver a lethal strike.

"Yes! This is the feeling!" Qin Shuo grew more excited as he fought.

Yuan Gang's strength, neither strong nor weak, was just right for him to practice his saber.

The opponent's indestructible external technique was practically a whetstone tailor-made for him!

"Kill!"

Qin Shuo's eyes blazed with battle intent, completely immersed in comprehending the final form of the White Ape Tiangang Saber, White Ape Splits the Mountain.

In a short moment, his fusion of saber intent rose from the previous seven forms to an astonishing thirteen forms, nearly doubling.

This rate of progress could match a month of secluded bitter cultivation.

Clang clang clang clang clang!

After fusing the saber intent of thirteen forms, Qin Shuo's long saber became even more lethal, his changes more spontaneous, as natural as moving his fingers with his arm.

Slice!

A flash of saber light, snow-bright like the Milky Way, illuminated the training ground with a vast white glow, drawing a fine line across Yuan Gang's fist.

Crimson blood beads welled from the wound, few but extremely conspicuous.

"How is it possible? That brat actually wounded big brother!"

Not far away, returning from the back mountain, Yuan Peng, standing at the edge watching the battle, exclaimed in shock.

He himself had cultivated the Dragon Elephant Golden Body, naturally aware of this technique's power and terror, ordinary blades unable to pierce their defense.

But now, what did he see?

That brat's long saber actually sliced his big brother's fist, breaking through his golden body defense.

"What's happening?"

The bandits hiding in the wooden huts watching the battle were also dazed, all turned to stone, hardly daring to believe their own eyes.

They had personally experienced Yuan Gang's monstrous defense.

It was truly impervious to blades and axes, yet now broken by a mere seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth.

The crowd was stunned, as if seeing ghosts.

Yuan Gang himself was even more terrified, feeling this youth's saber technique was strange, growing stronger with each battle, now having broken his golden body, raising alarm in his heart.

"Die for me!" Yuan Gang roared.

He knew Qin Shuo was using him as a whetstone to sharpen saber intent.

If allowed to continue comprehending, he would likely truly fall here today.

"Dragon Elephant Convergence, Golden Body Shakes the Mountain!"

He roared inwardly, his entire body's golden light converging toward his palms.

Faintly, the sound of a Longxiang's roar emanated from his palm, low and domineering, as if an ancient Longxiang were about to burst forth from within his body.

"White Ape Splits the Mountain—break it for me!"

In a critical instant, Qin Shuo's eyes shone brightly, and from that golden palm he sensed danger.

Yuan Gang's palm strike was absolutely terrifying, as if possessing the power to crush mountains and cleave seas; that oppressive force made Qin Shuo's mind race into high gear.

His thoughts became extremely active under Yuan Gang's pressure.

The force flow and saber intent of the thirty-five forms of the White Ape Tiangang Saber converged in an instant, merging into one.

His spirit, will, and strength were all poured into the next strike.

At that moment, Qin Shuo's mind once again conjured the scene from when he first saw the White Ape Splits the Mountain diagram.

A white ape leapt into the air, its saber cleaving a mountain a hundred zhang high!

A chilling saber gleam clung to the blade's edge, the fierce saber intent seeming capable of cleaving space, peerlessly sharp!

Three elements return to one, force transforms into gleam!

Pop!

Inside the Taotie Cauldron, the phantom of the final form of White Ape Splits the Mountain's divine intent shattered, turning into light points that merged into Qin Shuo's sea of consciousness.

At the same time, the saber intent of the thirty-six paths of the Tiangang Saber flowed through his heart.

It was as if this saber technique had originally been created by him personally—every variation and profundity had already been fully grasped within his heart.

Thus, his White Ape Tiangang Saber had reached Great Perfection, utterly flawless.

【Ingredients: White Ape Tiangang Saber Intent Diagram!】

【Current refinement progress: Refined】

【Refinement effect: Three elements return to one, force transforms into gleam, irresistibly sharp!】

Qin Shuo saw a panel prompt appear before his eyes.

But he had not yet had time to rejoice when Yuan Gang's roar dragged him back to reality.

"Die!"

Yuan Gang's voice rang like thunder, accompanied by a furious gale, as he slapped toward Qin Shuo's head.

If this palm struck true, even a thousand-jin boulder would be blasted apart, reduced to dust, impossible to block.

Faced with such a fierce and domineering palm, Qin Shuo, just as before, did not dodge or evade.

He raised his saber overhead with both hands and chopped down at that golden palm.

Inside the Black Dragon Stronghold, all the bandits held their breath!

Although the vast majority of them did not understand martial arts, they could still see that this blow would decide the victor!

"To win, the Chief must win!"

"Kill him, Chief, kill him!"

The bandits prayed, and even Yuan Peng clenched his fists tightly, so tense he forgot to breathe.

Pfft!

There was none of the previous earth-shattering collision sound.

Amidst the gazes of anticipation, tension, and astonishment,

Qin Shuo's long saber cut through the hand wrapped in mighty golden light without the slightest hindrance, like a knife through tofu, and smoothly sliced down from Yuan Gang's shoulder.