Chapter 831: Also a Mayfly Shaking a Great Tree, A Single Blade of Heaven and Earth Slices Through the Past

The 49th year of Hongguang, July 8th.

7: 7 AM.

A streak of azure clouds flew above the sky of Wu'an University.

"Shi Caiming, come out and accept your death—"

Xu Jing's voice, like a tidal wave, traveled from afar and resounded through half of the Datong Prefecture city!

He stepped on the azure clouds, looking down at Wu'an University below.

Back then, for the sake of Li Fei's affair, Shi Caiming had charged alone to the provincial capital, called him out in front of everyone, and defeated him.

This matter had caused him to lose all face.

Now, he could finally pay it back!

The sudden turn of events left the teachers and students at Wu'an University astonished, unable to understand who would dare to be so disrespectful to Principal Shi.

At the same time, Bian Jingru, who was in the government building, also heard Xu Jing's voice.

Having received a warning from Li Fei the day before, he immediately realized what was going on.

Decisive, he used his authority as the Garrison Commander to order over two hundred Imperial Camp soldiers in the city to immediately rush to Wu'an University for support!

"General Headquarters of the Stop-Conflict! General Headquarters of the Righteous Law! City Guard Army! Concentrate all elites and go to support Principal Shi!"

Bian Jingru issued orders one after another.

"But my lord, if we do this, your safety..."

The secretary beside him could not help but remind him.

"My safety is not important right now! As long as Principal Shi is fine, my Datong Prefecture can be fine!"

Bian Jingru's train of thought was very clear.

While low-level soldiers and mid-level experts are certainly important in a war, what truly determines the direction of a war is often the outcome between top-tier combatants.

Although Bian Jingru did not understand martial arts, he had read many military treatises; even if it was just armchair strategy, he understood the mode of contemporary warfare better than many civil officials:

"All tactical thinking should be centered on top-tier combatants when making decisions!"

This sentence came from the work of a Prince from the Western Continent who had won over a hundred battles.

After experiencing that war of aggression back then, the Great Lan Dynasty had a deep understanding of the Western Continent's "Snowball Tactics."

In the past era of cold weapons, ordinary soldiers could only continuously consume a martial artist's strength with their lives, and the effect was limited. Furthermore, it required true elites to fearlessly fill the gaps with their lives without their morale collapsing.

Such elite soldiers were also difficult to cultivate and came at a great cost.

But with the introduction of thermal weapons from the Western Continent, a sufficient number of low-level soldiers, once equipped with firearms, could potentially threaten a Dao Foundation realm martial artist with a single concentrated volley!

Using low-level soldiers to influence the duels of mid-level experts, then allowing one's own mid-level experts to break away to participate in the duels of top-tier powerhouses, letting everyone become a chip that influences the final victory—this is the Western Continent's "Snowball Tactics."

Bian Jingru knew that ordinary martial artists, even those at the Dao Foundation realm, were completely insignificant when facing a Grandmaster.

But as long as these people could make the Grandmaster slightly distracted and waste a bit of internal energy, it might just have an effect.

A Grandmaster is also human; they get tired and can get injured!

Moreover, a sufficient number of Dao Foundation realm martial artists could at least entangle the opponent's Martial Arts Masters, thereby allowing their own Martial Arts Masters and Imperial Camp soldiers to step in and help Shi Caiming fight.

If a Martial Arts Master faces a Grandmaster alone, their divine abilities will be completely suppressed and unable to be used.

But if the martial arts domains of two Grandmasters clash, then the strength of a Martial Arts Master carries weight and can be of help!

Following Bian Jingru's orders, the powerful forces within Datong Prefecture city rushed toward Wu'an University.

In the exotic beast breeding area of Wu'an University, atop a small hill.

Shi Caiming walked out of his courtyard with a calm expression and looked up at the cluster of azure clouds in the distance.

"A defeated foe, why are you barking like a dog?"

As he spoke, he leaped up, his figure landing like a meteor in a forest.

Last time, his opponent was only Xu Jing, so it didn't matter if he fought in the air against someone with flight abilities.

But this time, a powerful enemy had clearly arrived, so he naturally would not choose to continue fighting in the air.

Fighting on the ground would make it easier for his own reinforcements to join the battlefield.

There were tombstones for Hao Yi and Shangguan Xiao on the small hill, so Shi Caiming chose to move away from it, arriving at an empty exotic beast breeding area.

Soon, the azure clouds in the distance flew above Shi Caiming.

A figure descended from the sky, landing not far from Shi Caiming.

Many trees and bushes stood between the two, preventing them from seeing each other.

But Shi Caiming had already sensed the powerful sword intent on the person who had arrived!

"I am Bai Chen, here to take your life."

Bai Chen's voice was like a sharp sword, piercing through the hundred-meter distance and into Shi Caiming's ears.

Shi Caiming frowned slightly:

"Bai Chen, the Hook-Deep Sword Master?"

*Shua—*

A piercing sound of air being torn apart rang out, and a sword Qi instantly streaked across the hundred-meter distance.

A white rainbow born on land!

All the trees along the way were destroyed, and the sword Qi carved thousands of green marks into the forest.

Shi Caiming's expression remained calm; without any movement, the ancient trees nearby were snapped to pieces, and the leaves under his feet surged like waves, transforming into arrows that exploded in all directions!

*Boom—*

The azure rainbow collided with an invisible diamond wall, and the explosive sound resounded throughout Wu'an University.

Between Shi Caiming and Bai Chen, dust and dirt continuously exploded, as if an earth dragon were arching its back, forming a gully a hundred meters long and over ten meters wide!

The white sword energy that encountered the barrier suddenly dispersed, taking form:

White cranes, white elephants, white dragons...

It was as if an immortal from heaven had opened the heavenly palace, releasing all the immortal birds and divine beasts within!

The instantaneous manifestation of sword Qi combined with the evolution of sword intent, producing hundreds from one, while simultaneously drawing upon the reinforcement of a hundred different types of heaven and earth energy.

Such sword art was truly miraculous!

Shi Caiming still stood in place without dodging, merely stamping his foot lightly.

*Boom, boom, boom, boom—*

In the forest, the earth bull heaved, turning the world upside down; streaks of sword Qi broke through the soil, colliding with those white cranes, white elephants, and white dragons...

Each of the various manifestations condensed from sword Qi was smashed and shattered, filling the sky with dust and flying wood fragments, obscuring vision.

But each of these manifestations was full of spirit, knowing how to parry and counter; several white dragons still dodged the sword Qi that rose from the ground and charged toward Shi Caiming.

A scorching force surged from his body, engulfing these white dragons and burning them to ashes.

This first round of exchanges between the two sides was merely a probe, but in the contest of sword arts, it was Shi Caiming who had fallen into a disadvantage.

Not far away, Bai Chen's eyes, which were like withered wood, brightened slightly:

"You are indeed qualified for me to ask for a sword duel."

The reason he told Xu Jing not to interfere in this battle was not out of arrogance, but because Shi Caiming was also a swordsman—a powerful swordsman!

Bai Chen did not want to miss this rare opportunity for a sword duel.

As his voice fell, the long sword on his back let out a hum, unsheathed itself, and fell into his palm.

The Hook-Deep Sword Master gripped his own sword.

Shi Caiming changed from his usual casual demeanor, his expression solemn.

The small hill in the distance suddenly vibrated violently; the ground at the summit cracked open, and a red sword light shot into the sky like a volcanic eruption, bringing with it monstrous flames!

The nearby sky was instantly scorched red, and a large amount of fire-attribute heaven and earth energy gathered here.

In the air, Xu Jing, who was stepping on the azure clouds, frowned slightly.

When Shi Caiming fought him back then, he had not used his own sword.

Seeing the opponent's sword "unsheathed" now, he realized that he had still underestimated the strength of this Wu'an University principal!

*Hum—*

A fire dragon descended from the sky and landed in Shi Caiming's hand, transforming into a raging flame so intense that the sword body could not be seen.

A scorching and abundant sword intent filled the space between heaven and earth, turning this exotic beast breeding area into a furnace!

"They all say that after your breakthrough failed back then, your life essence was damaged, and you could only wither away on a lonely mountain, barely clinging to life."

Bai Chen looked at the burning long sword in Shi Caiming's hand, revealing an excited expression.

He had already sensed that many people were rapidly rushing toward this side; they were all experts within Wu'an University, including the Martial Arts Master Qin Zhen.

But he did not care at all, looking at Shi Caiming, he said:

"I never expected you to find another path and make a breakthrough in sword dao. After twenty years of cultivating intent, I hope your sword will not disappoint me!"

More than thirty years ago, Shi Caiming was already a Martial Arts Master with four divine abilities, famous throughout Feng Province.

He had a clear judgment of himself; he did not continue to refine divine abilities to pursue higher combat power, but decisively broke through to become a Grandmaster.

It is very difficult for a Grandmaster with three divine abilities to break through to the Divine Derivation realm, but the chances are slightly higher for one with four.

Unfortunately, Shi Caiming ran into problems during his breakthrough; not only did he fail, but he also damaged his life essence.

This is the reason why, despite being a dignified Grandmaster, he looked so aged.

Shi Caiming's problem was different from other martial artists who damaged their implants; he had damaged his own life essence, which led to his inability to continue breaking through, so the "Five Phases Inverse Wheel Method" modified by Hao Yi was useless to him.

Unless he also possessed a Myriad Blood Pearl that could continuously enhance vitality, or consumed some kind of heaven-defying treasure that could change one's fate, this problem was unsolvable.

For the past twenty years, he had spent most of his time guarding this small hill at Wu'an University, and others thought he was just barely clinging to life because of his severe injuries.

But at this moment, Bai Chen had exposed the truth in a single sentence:

Shi Caiming had spent twenty years continuously "nurturing sword intent."

In the martial path, he no longer had any hope of breaking through, but in the sword path, he still did!

Shi Caiming did not respond to Bai Chen, but simply took a step forward and proactively held his sword to attack.

The hundred-meter distance vanished in an instant; before the sound of breaking through the air could even arrive, Shi Caiming's long sword had already reached him.

Burning with intense flames and carrying a terrifyingly high temperature, the blade descended from above in a simple, straightforward downward slash.

Bai Chen likewise lifted his arm and drew his sword in an understated manner, holding the sword horizontally before him.

The moves of the two Grandmasters of the sword path appeared to have no complex changes or profound techniques; they were just the simplest horizontal and vertical strokes.

The moment the two swords collided, two majestic forces bloomed from within their bodies almost simultaneously.

Martial Domain!

In the jungle below, half was a sea of fire and half was a sea of white clouds, with a radius of a thousand meters enveloped within it.

Subsequently, the sea of fire and the sea of clouds merged together, the red and white colors intermingling.

Xu Jing looked down at the scene below, focusing his eyes, and saw the two people in the center of the battlefield continuing to maintain their postures of slashing down and blocking horizontally, though their figures were somewhat illusory and unstable.

To others, it seemed as if the two had not moved at all, but in Xu Jing's eyes, they were exchanging blows at an extremely high speed!

It was only because the speed was too fast that it had already exceeded the limits of many people's vision.

Pillars of fire shot into the sky one after another, and patches of the cloud sea evolved into various forms of palaces, only to be quickly burned to nothing by the flames.

The earth shook time and again, and one large crater after another appeared on the ground.

"Creation Sword Art!"

Xu Jing felt a sense of awe in his heart, his expression somewhat gloomy.

What Bai Chen was using at this moment was precisely "Heavenly Palaces," one of the twelve Creation Sword Arts of the Gouchen Sword Sect.

This Sword Master had long since practiced this sword art to the realm of Creation, and had integrated two divine abilities into it, unleashing immense power!

And that Shi Caiming could contend with it using sword art showed that his sword path cultivation had likewise reached the realm of Creation!

Profound Scene-level Dao force is equivalent to more than half a divine ability; if a martial arts master with dual divine abilities masters Profound Scene-level Dao force, they have a certain chance of defeating a martial arts master with three divine abilities.

And Creation-level Dao force is not a divine ability, yet it surpasses one!

After a martial artist becomes a Grandmaster, the number of divine abilities that make up their Martial Domain is difficult to increase further; even if they can devour the divine abilities of others like Xu Jing, it leads to an unstable foundation and is ultimately not the grand, righteous path.

But if a Grandmaster can master Creation-level Dao force, it is equivalent to mastering one more divine ability!

Moreover, when Grandmasters fight, their Martial Domains collide, causing their own divine abilities to be affected, and their power is significantly weakened.

But Creation-level Dao force does not have this problem, and its power is almost unaffected!

Right now, Shi Caiming and Bai Chen are both fighting fiercely, primarily using Creation Sword Arts and secondarily using divine abilities.

Shi Caiming thrust his sword forward; Bai Chen flicked his wrist, held his sword horizontally before him, and pressed his left palm against the blade.

Bang!!!

The flames exploded, a piercing roar rang out, and the long sword in Bai Chen's hand trembled violently.

Shi Caiming maintained the posture of his sword thrust and continued to step forward, while Bai Chen was pushed back several dozen meters.

With his feet off the ground, Bai Chen stroked the blade with his left hand, calm and unhurried, as a massive amount of cloud energy gathered and transformed into a celestial palace that pressed down toward Shi Caiming.

The next second, the celestial palace was shattered, and Shi Caiming continued to thrust forward with his sword!

But another celestial palace formed out of thin air, enveloping him within it.

Flames surged, the celestial palace shattered, and then came the third, the fourth...

The manifestation of every celestial palace was completely different, and the sword intent, sword momentum, and sword Qi were also entirely different.

"Heavenly Palaces" can summon a total of thirty-three celestial palaces, representing the thirty-three heavens of the immortal realm!

As the number of times the celestial palaces appeared increased, the distance Bai Chen retreated after each of Shi Caiming's sword thrusts became shorter and shorter.

Until the thirtieth celestial palace descended, after Shi Caiming shattered the palace with one sword strike, Bai Chen finally stood firm, not retreating even half a step further!

With his short hair standing on end, Bai Chen looked at Shi Caiming, his eyes showing some disappointment.

When he fought others, he never liked to suppress them with force, but rather sought to win them over with his sword.

He was a Shenyan-realm Grandmaster, yet he did not use higher-realm means to deal with Shi Caiming, instead deliberately suppressing his realm to the Shengji realm.

He only sought to match sword against sword and break his opponent's sword art; only then would he be worthy of this sword-questioning match!

But fighting until now, Shi Caiming seemed unable to even break his first Creation Sword Art.

Shi Caiming sensed the change in Bai Chen's mood; he delivered another sword strike with an expressionless face, which looked no different from the previous thirty strikes.

But Bai Chen, who had intended to block this strike with the thirty-first celestial palace, felt his heart skip a beat and decisively unleashed the strongest move of "Heavenly Palaces": all thirty-three celestial palaces descended simultaneously, layered and stacked to a height of several hundred meters, a majestic sight!

The sea of fire and white clouds mixed together in the jungle became distinct once more, and then the flames surged forward like a sharp sword piercing into the sea of clouds.

Twenty years of nurturing intent, unleashed in a single moment, unstoppable!

The thirty-three celestial palaces shattered one after another, and the long sword in Bai Chen's hand bent backward at an astonishing arc.

He was blasted back more than three hundred meters!

"Good—"

Bai Chen exclaimed in admiration; although he could have continued to use "Heavenly Palaces" to entangle with Shi Caiming, he decisively switched to another sword art.

This time, what the sea of clouds evolved into was no longer layers of celestial palaces, but streaks of magnificent aurora!

The light pierced through the sea of fire and also nearly pierced through Shi Caiming's body.

It even caused his Martial Domain to become riddled with holes in an instant, no longer stable!

Creation Sword Art—"Departing Light."

In the air, seeing this scene, the corners of Xu Jing's mouth curled upward.

Every additional Creation-level Dao force mastered is equivalent to mastering one more divine ability.

More than forty years ago, Bai Chen had already mastered four Creation Sword Arts and practiced them all to the realm of Creation!

Although Creation Dao force cannot be combined like divine abilities to produce a qualitative change, nor can it enhance the power of a Martial Domain.

But Bai Chen, who already possessed five divine abilities, plus at least four Creation Sword Arts, likely had combat power no weaker than a Grandmaster who broke through with seven divine abilities!

Upon seeing Bai Chen, Xu Jing knew that today's battle was secure.

Shi Caiming would surely die!

He now only hoped that Li Fei would be like Hao Yi back then, knowing it was death yet still running over to throw his life away.

A black rainbow arrived from afar, about to charge directly into the intersecting Martial Domains.

Xu Jing let out a cold snort, raised his hand and waved it, and the blue clouds transformed into a blade aura that descended from the sky, intercepting the newcomer.

The newcomer was none other than the only martial arts master currently at Wuan University—Qin Zhen.

He wanted to charge directly into Bai Chen's Martial Domain, forcing the opponent to divide his attention to suppress his own divine abilities and power, thereby sharing some of the pressure for Shi Caiming.

Unfortunately, Xu Jing did not let him have his way.

Xu Jing stood in the air, using his 【Water Control】 divine ability to affect the blood and moisture in Qin Zhen's body, while using his 【Cloud Soaring】 divine ability to transform into a blade aura to attack Qin Zhen, making it difficult for him to continue moving closer to the battlefield.

If he were willing to land on the ground and unleash his Martial Domain after getting close to Qin Zhen, he could kill Qin Zhen in under ten seconds!

But if he did that, he worried that Shi Caiming would seize the opportunity to escape.

The difficulty of defeating a Grandmaster and killing a Grandmaster is completely different.

Xu Jing had been standing in the air the whole time precisely to cut off Shi Caiming's retreat!

Therefore, he would rather attack Qin Zhen from a distance; it was nothing more than spending a little more time to kill him.

On the other side, more than two hundred Imperial Guard cavalry from Datong Prefecture were galloping rapidly along the street, rushing toward Wuan University.

Suddenly, a brilliant moonlight appeared ahead.

Immediately following, a full moon descended into the human world, crashing toward this team of Imperial Guard cavalry!

"Form up—"

The leading Imperial Guard general shouted loudly.

The well-trained soldiers took only 0. seconds to complete the activation of the evil-warding weapons on their bodies.

In less than 0. seconds, all the evil-warding weapons connected in a specific order, and the blood energy, innate Qi, and mental power of more than two hundred martial artists converged into a single torrent.

The military formation was formed!

The black evil energy transformed into a black dragon, baring fangs and brandishing claws as it crashed into the incoming full moon, shattering it directly.

Behind them, Nalan Zhi continued to strike with his sword, his expression calm.

After his and Great Elder Wan Xuesong's operation in Xingcheng failed, they had rushed to Datong Prefecture city overnight.

Having traveled all night, both of them had suffered significant depletion.

However, they could still manage to hold off the reinforcements for the time being.

Nalan Zhi, possessing dual divine abilities, held off more than two hundred Imperial Guard troops alone, while Great Elder Wan Xuesong took action against the experts rushing over from the Zhige General Academy and the Zhengfa General Academy.

Combined, the two academies had five Dao Foundation-stage martial artists and four Possession-stage Great Mages.

Among the five Dao Foundation-stage martial artists, not one had peak Dao Foundation combat power, and no one could use Dao force.

However, the magic artifacts used by the four Possession-stage Great Mages were quite good, and among them was even a sword cultivator.

The five Dao Foundation-stage martial artists focused on defense, and the four Possession-stage Great Mages focused on offense; they could still put up a fight against Wan Xuesong.

On the long street, two figures collided, and one of them flew backward like a cannonball, crashing directly into a grocery store.

Boom—

The house collapsed, turning into a ruin, and the person buried within remained motionless for a long time, their life or death unknown.

Wan Xuesong turned and slashed away a flying sword that was speeding toward him.

He glanced at the crowd in the distance, locked onto the position of this sword cultivator, and immediately strode toward that side.

Four Dao Foundation-stage martial artists stepped forward to intercept him, only to be casually repelled.

He had traveled all night and was greatly depleted; to conserve his strength, he did not use divine abilities to face the enemy, but only employed Dao force.

In any case, for dealing with these martial artists who hadn't even reached the peak of the Dao Foundation stage, his "as-you-wish" level of Dao force was enough to crush them!

If not for the four Possession-stage grand mages on the other side, the battle would have been one-sided long ago.

Wan Xuesong saw that the four Possession-stage grand mages intended to join forces to set up an array; naturally, he would not give them that chance and charged straight at them.

The distance of several hundred meters was covered in an instant, and two more Dao Foundation-stage martial artists were severely wounded.

In the air, sword light, flames, gale, and thunder struck toward him simultaneously.

Wan Xuesong showed a look of disdain and slashed upward with his sword; the sword light soared into the sky, and the massive roar formed a soul-shaking sound wave!

Divine Ability—【Sword Roar】!

In an instant, the sword light, flames, gale, and thunder were all scattered by the sound wave.

Four magic treasures were sent flying at the same time!

"A bunch of ants!"

Wan Xuesong laughed loudly and continued to charge forward with his sword.

Jiang Jin, who was tightly protected by over a dozen martial arts masters, showed a look of despair.

This Vice President of the Datong Prefecture Orthodox Law General Academy was a sword cultivator with powerful killing strength.

But against a Martial Dao Grandmaster, he was still unable to do enough.

Just as Wan Xuesong was about to kill his way into the crowd, his expression suddenly stiffened, and his movements stalled.

At the same time, a flash of golden light suddenly appeared.

Jiang Jin opened his eyes wide; this golden light looked like a flying sword in his eyes.

The speed of the sword, the ferocity of the sword momentum, and the strength of the sword intent were the greatest he had ever seen in his life!

The sword light instantly swept across Wan Xuesong's body.

This Martial Dao Grandmaster, who had just been in high spirits, opened his eyes wide, revealing a look of terror, and stood motionless on the spot.

Boom—

A bursting roar followed, echoing through the long street.

After the loud noise, a blood line first appeared on Wan Xuesong's neck, and then the blood line continued to expand.

Snap!

The head of this newly promoted Martial Dao Grandmaster of the Qingshan Sword Sect fell from his neck!

From beginning to end, he had not been able to put up any decent resistance.

Jiang Jin and the others watched this scene in horror, unable to react for a moment.

When the golden light dissipated, a figure appeared on the long street.

The person turned around, Jiang Jin's body trembled, and he subconsciously shouted:

"Li Fei... no, Marquis!"

The suddenly appearing Li Fei nodded to these people: "You don't need to go to the Martial University."

After speaking, he turned into a golden light again and went away.

Watching the golden light move away, Jiang Jin's expression was complex.

Back then, he had brought great shock to Li Fei with his flying sword, and the other party had even asked him about things related to flying swords.

At that time, Jiang Jin still had the full demeanor of an expert in front of Li Fei.

But in just a few short years, everything had undergone a heaven-turning and earth-flipping change!

That young man from back then, who was full of yearning and respectfully asked for advice on his flying sword technique.

Now slaughters Martial Dao Grandmasters like butchering dogs!

Nalan Zhi, who was resisting the baleful aura of the Imperial Camp Army, suddenly felt something and immediately turned to strike with his sword.

Bang!!!

A golden light rushed from afar to his front.

The person who came was none other than Li Fei!

Li Fei threw a punch, his left fist colliding with Nalan Zhi's long sword.

Nalan Zhi's expression was serious as he exerted his full power to activate the 【Moon-Plucking】 divine ability, without the slightest reservation, and all the moon essence stored in his body erupted at once!

He simultaneously activated the 【Star Wheel】 divine ability, with a total of twelve stars circling his body, merging and resonating with the erupting moon essence to drive out even greater power.

The long sword temporarily held off Li Fei's left fist.

Li Fei's expression was calm; he simply raised his right hand and threw another punch.

Nalan Zhi's face changed drastically, and the twelve stars circling his body shattered one after another!

In the blink of an eye, all the stars fell; Nalan Zhi spat out blood and was about to borrow the force to retreat and flee toward the Wu'an University.

But just as he made a move, his mind trembled, and he was struck by a 【Blood Might God】.

Li Fei seized the opportunity to step forward, his right fist piercing through the opponent's chest, instantly exploding his heart!

"You—"

Nalan Zhi looked at Li Fei's eyes with full unwillingness.

Li Fei exerted force with his hand and threw the opponent away directly.

He did not look again, turned around, and said to the still-bewildered Imperial Camp Army soldiers:

"Follow this Marquis to the Martial University!"

"..."

After a moment of hesitation, the leading Imperial Camp Army general reacted, and his blood immediately began to boil.

He gave a military salute to Li Fei and shouted loudly:

"Understood!"

Subsequently, a golden light and a black dragon quickly rushed toward the Wu'an University.

On the long street, the bloodstains had not yet dried.

The chest of Qingshan Sword Sect Master Nalan Zhi was pierced through, and he lay on the ground motionless.

He died with his eyes wide open.

Wu'an University, Exotic Beast Breeding Area.

After Qin Zhen arrived, eleven Dao Foundation-stage martial artists arrived one after another.

These people were all professors at the Martial University, but they could not cross the line by even half a step and could not get close to the battlefield at the front.

Xu Jing kept making moves in the air with ease, blocking Qin Zhen while killing these fearless Martial University professors.

In just one minute, five professors had already lost their lives, and Qin Zhen was also not lightly injured.

If this continued, it wouldn't take a minute for all of them to die here!

Suddenly, Xu Jing felt something and turned his head to look into the distance.

A golden light was breaking through the air at an extremely fast speed!

Xu Jing showed a look of wild joy and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The person he was waiting for had finally arrived!

A few seconds later, Li Fei appeared beside Qin Zhen and the others.

He first looked at Shi Caiming, who was fighting with Bai Chen in front, and said softly:

"Principal, I am here."

Then he looked up at the person in the air with a look of wild joy and said loudly:

"Xu Jing, you should die!"

For this day, he had waited for too long.

He had thought this duel would be some public challenge in the future, but he had not expected it to be in such a near-desperate situation as it was now!

At this very moment, it was just like the situation Hao Yi faced back then!

Li Fei felt his state of mind was even closer to his Master's from back then.

Xu Jing stopped laughing and looked down at Li Fei below; in a trance, he seemed to see that familiar figure again.

This feeling made him very unhappy:

"Very good, I will send you to see your master very soon!"

Back then, Hao Yi was clearly only a Dao Foundation-stage martial artist, yet knowing that Xu Jing was already a Martial Dao Grandmaster and possessed more than one divine ability, he still chose to go and raid the execution ground alone.

Today's Li Fei is only a Martial Dao Grandmaster, yet he dares to take the initiative to face him, a Great Grandmaster.

The master and disciple are exactly the same, both are mayflies shaking a giant tree!

Hao Yi did not retreat.

Li Fei did not either.

"What are you doing here? Leave quickly—"

Shi Caiming also noticed Li Fei's arrival and showed a look of anxiety for the first time, immediately sending a voice transmission to Li Fei.

As for his own old bones, if he dies, he dies.

But Li Fei clearly has a bright future and an immeasurable future; he should not come to risk his life today!

Li Fei did not answer Shi Caiming; he just said to Qin Zhen:

"You go help Principal Shi, leave Xu Jing to me!"

After speaking, he hooked his finger at Xu Jing in the air, and then suddenly dashed toward the distance.

Qin Zhen did not hesitate, although he did not know how Li Fei, who was only a Martial Dao Grandmaster, was going to deal with a Great Grandmaster.

But at this moment, he could only choose to believe that the other party could create a miracle once again.

He charged headlong into the Martial Dao Domains of the two Grandmasters.

Soon, more than two hundred cavalrymen of the Imperial Guard, riding exotic beast mounts, also arrived at this location, followed closely by a black dragon of baleful energy, which charged into the two Martial Dao Domains.

On the way here, Li Fei had instructed them to help Shi Caiming upon arrival and not to worry about him.

It is the sacred duty of soldiers to obey orders.

These Imperial Guard soldiers did not let Li Fei down.

After the black dragon of baleful energy charged into the two Martial Dao Domains, another figure followed closely behind and also rushed in.

It was none other than the Sect Master of the Dragon Tiger Gate, Wang Yilong, who had returned with Li Fei!

Wang Yilong was a four-supernatural-power Martial Dao Master who had encountered problems when refining his fifth supernatural power.

Now that the implant for his fifth supernatural power had begun "re-cultivation," his strength remained at the level of four supernatural powers.

With the sudden addition of three Martial Dao Master-level combatants to assist him, Shi Caiming could at least hold out for a longer time.

In the air, after Li Fei made a beckoning gesture at him, Xu Jing could no longer hold back.

He transformed into a mass of azure clouds and quickly pursued Li Fei.

As for whether Shi Caiming would take the opportunity to escape, he no longer cared at all.

As long as he could kill Li Fei and resolve his inner demon, he would possess a vast future!

A terrifying pressure descended from the sky; possessing the 【Cloud Treading】 supernatural power, Xu Jing's flight speed was faster than Li Fei's full-speed sprint on the ground.

After Li Fei ran for over a thousand meters, he was caught up to by Xu Jing.

A deep blue radiance bloomed from Xu Jing's body, instantly expanding over five hundred meters and shrouding Li Fei within it.

Martial Dao Domain—【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】!

The scene around Li Fei changed; he was now standing on an endless black swamp, surrounded by thick fog where one could not even see their own fingers.

A majestic pressure crushed down from all directions, and the black swamp beneath his feet emitted a terrifying suction force!

The blood within his body began to spiral out of control, attempting to tear through his blood vessels.

The surrounding fog swept toward him, beginning to frantically slice at the Golden Jade Scale Armor on Li Fei's body, carving out white marks one after another.

These mists were like invisible blades, sharp to the extreme!

Quite a bit of the mist slipped through the gaps in the scale armor, beginning to cut at the golden light on his body.

Li Fei had once experienced Xu Jing's 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】 in the Tomb of Heavenly Water; at that time, he had almost no power to fight back within this Martial Dao Domain, and his blood soul was consumed rapidly.

However, his defensive power was now many times stronger than it had been back then!

Although the level seven divine garment, the Golden Jade Scale Armor, was being constantly damaged, the golden light on Li Fei's body remained firm.

However, the golden light was also being rapidly worn down.

The 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】 Li Fei had encountered back then was only a portion of the Martial Dao Domain that Xu Jing had partitioned off, and it was not being controlled by him personally.

The current 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】 was the "complete version," and its power was several times stronger than before!

Xu Jing descended from the sky, looking at Li Fei, who was completely controlled by his Martial Dao Domain not far away, and revealed a ferocious smile:

"Already have five supernatural powers? Not bad at all."

"Unfortunately, in front of me, it is still—a mayfly trying to shake a tree!"

Through his Martial Dao Domain, he could clearly perceive that there were a total of five different supernatural powers within Li Fei's body.

To refine five supernatural powers in less than two years after breaking through his realm—this speed was simply shocking, unprecedented, and likely to have no successors!

But whether it was five supernatural powers or seven, even if Li Fei had a dozen, Xu Jing would not fear him in the slightest.

If a few more Martial Dao Masters of Li Fei's level were to come, he might have some reservations.

But with only Li Fei alone, he felt no pressure in suppressing him!

Not in a hurry to kill him, Xu Jing fully enjoyed this feeling of crushing him, sensing the inner demon in his heart constantly dissipating:

"What, want to avenge your master?"

"I am standing right here; can you take even one step forward?"

"Your master is trash, and you are—"

In the man-eating swamp, Li Fei suddenly took a step forward.

Xu Jing frowned slightly, and just as he was about to speak, Li Fei's voice already echoed within the Martial Dao Domain:

"The time for nonsense is over."

"You—"

A trace of unease suddenly arose in Xu Jing's heart.

The next second, streaks of golden sword Qi bloomed from within Li Fei's body, rapidly expanding within the 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】 and ultimately forming a golden sphere over a hundred meters in diameter!

At the center of the sword Qi, Li Fei was twisting his neck, and his physique began to swell.

After a day and a night, he had successfully refined the 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power!

That final step of "Merging with the Dao" was like adding another floor to an existing building; it required the martial artist's Dao foundation to be sufficiently strong and stable, their life essence to be sufficiently powerful, and their physique to be sufficiently robust.

And in all these aspects, Li Fei far surpassed martial artists of the same realm!

By further utilizing the 【Refining Matter】 supernatural power to consume blood souls to solve the problem of an insufficient foundation, he successfully broke through the realm and refined the 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power.

The night before last, Wang Yilong asked him:

"Even if you can truly master the 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power quickly, what significance can one extra supernatural power have when facing a Grandmaster?"

Li Fei did not answer him at the time.

Now, he revealed the answer—

For other Martial Dao Masters, having one extra supernatural power indeed could not play any role in a duel against a Grandmaster.

But Li Fei was different.

Within the Hunyuan Sword Realm, the 【Hunyuan Golden Palace】 supernatural power provided a continuous supply of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi of various attributes, transforming them into "matter."

The 【No Distance】 supernatural power altered the spatial layers, with streaks of sword Qi traveling through them, supporting the "space."

The 【Eternal Stability】 supernatural power represented Yin, transforming into a bright moon hanging high, its moonlight illuminating the heart.

The newly acquired 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power represented Yang, transforming into a great sun in the sword realm, scorching and blazing in the sky!

The 【Refining Matter】 supernatural power served as the core, balancing Yin and Yang, and controlling matter and space.

The Hunyuan Sword Realm was already the prototype of a Martial Dao Domain; after filling it with five supernatural powers and completing the integration of law and martial arts through the "Yin-Yang dichotomy," it could already be temporarily regarded as a small-scale Martial Dao Domain!

This was the reason why Li Fei was willing to use demonic means to quickly master the 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power.

Because after mastering this supernatural power, he truly possessed the trump card to contend with a Grandmaster!

In the 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】, Xu Jing looked at the golden sphere of light before him in disbelief.

"Impossible!"

He did not believe that a Martial Dao Master could construct their own small world within his Martial Dao Domain.

Rumble—

The entire Martial Dao Domain suddenly vibrated, the swamp boiled, and the fog rotated at high speed!

The terrifying pressure transformed into an invisible vortex, intending to swallow and crush Li Fei's Hunyuan Sword Realm!

On the golden sphere of light, streaks of sword Qi collapsed and vanished, and more and more cracks appeared.

Inside the Hunyuan Sword Realm, Li Fei watched the cracks appearing around him with a calm expression.

Although his Hunyuan Sword Realm could be temporarily regarded as a Martial Dao Domain, it still had a gap compared to a true Martial Dao Domain.

The two sides were very close in quality, but they were not in the same weight class.

Therefore, when Xu Jing exerted his full power to drive the 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】, Li Fei would not be able to hold on for much longer.

Although achieving this step at the realm of a Martial Dao Master was already a miracle.

But such a miracle was not enough to support Li Fei in killing a Grandmaster in reverse.

He did not hesitate to activate the 【Refining Matter】 supernatural power, consuming 2, 00 blood souls to transform them into invisible power that merged into his Hunyuan Sword Realm!

The day and night of cultivation, while successfully refining the 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power, had also caused Li Fei to lose a large number of blood souls.

The 3, 00 blood souls stored in the Blood Spring were completely exhausted!

The blood souls within the Myriad Blood Bead had dropped below 50% multiple times, only to be quickly recovered through 【Blood Breath】.

After mastering the 【Dragon Elephant】 supernatural power, his physique was further enhanced, and the blood soul capacity of the Myriad Blood Bead increased by over 300, becoming 5, 25.

When he arrived at the Martial University, there were no extra blood souls in the Blood Spring, and the number of blood souls in the Myriad Blood Bead was only 2, 89.

At this moment, having consumed another 2, 00 blood souls, he did not have many left.

However, all of this was within Li Fei's calculations.

Daring to face Xu Jing alone, he naturally had more than one trump card!

After the battle in the Northern Barbarian lands, after such a long period of accumulation, the Myriad Blood Bead had completed an upgrade, reaching level 45.

Before Li Fei returned to Datong Prefecture, it was only 2% energy away from reaching level 46.

After a series of ordeals, taking medicine, and absorbing the damage caused by the implants, he had absorbed another 1% of energy.

Just now, Li Fei had intentionally let Xu Jing act, precisely to accumulate energy by utilizing the other party's attacks.

A Grandmaster's strike had high-quality energy, enough for him to accumulate the final 1%!

Li Fei was already very familiar with the upgrade process of the Myriad Blood Bead and had a relatively precise perception of the accumulation of energy values.

Therefore, after consuming the 2, 00 blood souls, he timed it almost perfectly, precise to the second, and immediately completed the upgrade!

The blood souls within the Myriad Blood Bead instantly became full.

For the level 46 Myriad Blood Bead, the capacity increased by 90 blood souls, and the total number of blood souls became 5, 15!

After merging the energy refined from 2, 00 blood souls, the crack-filled Hunyuan Sword Realm stabilized once again.

Once the Myriad Blood Bead finished its upgrade, Li Fei stepped forward and charged toward Xu Jing.

As the distance between the two closed, the collision between the 【Primordial Sword Domain】 and the 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】 grew increasingly violent!

The golden sphere of light formed by the 【Primordial Sword Domain】 suddenly disintegrated, transforming into a torrent of sword Qi that swept out in all directions.

Meanwhile, the surrounding mist and the black sludge below scattered in succession.

This was the result of two Martial Dao Domains colliding intensely, mutually influencing and weakening each other.

Under these circumstances, both Xu Jing and Li Fei could still manifest their divine abilities, but both would be affected.

By comparison, Li Fei was affected more severely, his divine abilities weakened more, because his Martial Dao Domain was weaker.

The 【No-Distance】 ability, which could originally teleport him one hundred meters, could now only teleport him a dozen meters.

The amount of heaven and earth spiritual energy that the 【Primordial Golden Palace】 could absorb into his body was also limited.

But even so, he already possessed the strength to contend with Xu Jing head-on!

Xu Jing had not expected Li Fei to be capable of reaching this level.

Watching Li Fei charge toward him, he beckoned with one hand, and countless mists, along with the lake water and sludge beneath his feet, gathered toward his hand, eventually condensing into a long blade that was pitch-black all over and shimmered with a dark blue light.

He swung the blade at Li Fei, the Profound Scene-level Dao force driving the power of heaven and earth as he slashed down vertically!

It was as if a wicked face had appeared in the sky, opening a massive mouth to devour all things, crushing down toward the earth.

Li Fei likewise drew the Ghost Slaying Blade; a streak of golden light bloomed from the tip of the blade, eventually appearing like a great sun descending, and countless golden rays carrying the power of heaven and earth pierced through the wicked face in the air.

It was also Profound Scene-level Dao force!

The Ghost Slaying Blade collided with the long blade in Xu Jing's hand; no sound was emitted, nor did any excess force surge outward.

A force of extreme, chilling cold quietly descended upon Li Fei's body and mind.

【Evil God】!

At the same time, a terrifying suction force erupted from his blade, frantically absorbing the power contained within the Ghost Slaying Blade.

【Black Water】!

Li Fei's entire body's blood grew restless, and streams of mist surged from the opponent's long blade, rapidly coiling around his entire body.

【Water Control】!

【Cloud Soaring】!

The four divine abilities were not taking effect individually, but were fusing and enhancing one another.

【Water Control】 enhanced the lethality of 【Cloud Soaring】 and increased the devouring power of 【Black Water】.

【Black Water】 transformed the devoured power into more clouds and mist and the dark power of 【Evil God】.

【Evil God】 could likewise conversely enhance 【Cloud Soaring】 and 【Black Water】.

The combined effect of the four divine abilities was further amplified within the Martial Dao Domain!

Even though both were Profound Scene-level Dao force, Xu Jing was more proficient in his mastery than Li Fei.

Even though both were Martial Dao Domains, Xu Jing had more insight into the fusion of several divine abilities within the Martial Dao Domain.

Added to that was a stronger Martial Dao Domain and greater suppression.

He did not believe he would lose!

A bright moon rose within Li Fei's heart lake; under the illumination of the moonlight, the black mist that had suddenly surged in was dispersed.

【Eternal Stability】 to protect the mind!

Even though 【Eternal Stability】 was significantly weakened, Xu Jing's control over 【Evil God】 was also weak, its fusion within the Martial Dao Domain was not good, and it was likewise weakened quite a bit by the 【Primordial Sword Domain】, so it was difficult to directly affect Li Fei's mind in a short time.

As for the physical damage caused by 【Evil God】 and 【Water Control】, the portion that remained after breaking his defense was all transferred by Li Fei to the Myriad Blood Bead.

When the mist coiled around his body, Li Fei suddenly vanished from his spot, utilizing 【No-Distance】 to break the control of 【Cloud Soaring】 and the devouring of 【Black Water】.

He appeared behind Xu Jing and slashed out with his blade.

First, he cleaved through a layer of cloud and mist, then struck the sludge on Xu Jing's body surface.

The 【Black Water】 divine ability continued to devour the power on the blade.

Li Fei remained expressionless, gripping the blade with both hands to continue the slash.

Having mastered the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability, his physique continued to strengthen, and the upper limit of 【Blood Rage】 increased from 1, 00 blood souls to 1, 00.

His own physical strength increased from 500 units of Blood Rage force to 600.

Therefore, in the 'Blood Demon State', Li Fei's limit strength had already reached a terrifying 2, 00 units of Blood Rage force!

The moment he struck the black sludge, he activated the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability.

The Dragon Elephant power was applied based on these 2, 00 units of Blood Rage force!

This power immediately exceeded the limit of what Li Fei's body could withstand, but he transferred the reaction force to the 【Primordial Sword Domain】.

He did not need to train additional divine abilities to increase his body's tolerance limit; as long as the 【Primordial Sword Domain】 did not collapse, his power could continue to rise!

The terrifying explosive power had already exceeded the speed at which 【Black Water】 could devour, and the Ghost Slaying Blade slashed straight through the sludge, landing on Xu Jing's back!

Xu Jing's expression changed, and he immediately borrowed the force to dash forward, but a long wound was still slashed into his back, deep enough to see bone, and fresh blood gushed out.

He turned to look at Li Fei with an ugly expression:

"This kind of power..."

Li Fei vanished from his spot, and after flashing several times in succession, he arrived behind Xu Jing once again.

This time, Xu Jing did not block, but instead activated 【Water Control】 and 【Cloud Soaring】.

The lake water beneath his feet and the surrounding mist drove his body to instantly dart a hundred meters away.

He dared not confront Li Fei head-on anymore and could only choose a hit-and-run strategy.

This choice made his heart feel as if it had been fiercely pricked by a needle!

Back at the Dao Foundation stage, that sense of powerlessness when facing Hao Yi surged into his heart once again!

"His little world cannot last for long; once the world breaks, he will be at my mercy."

Xu Jing told himself this in his heart.

For the next minute, the two remained in a state of high-speed movement.

Xu Jing kept remotely controlling the lake water and mist to interfere with Li Fei's movement, while Li Fei used 【No-Distance】 time and again to dodge.

His 【No-Distance】 was significantly weakened, making it difficult for him to catch up to Xu Jing, who was moving with the enhancement of two divine abilities.

He naturally saw through Xu Jing's intentions; this tactic was already within his estimations.

Xu Jing was waiting for his 【Primordial Sword Domain】 to collapse, while he was waiting for the enhancement of the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability.

The Dragon Elephant power could not be pushed to its extreme all at once; it required a little time.

One minute later, Li Fei's power had already been enhanced to four times its original amount—11, 00 units of Blood Rage force!

This was an unprecedented limit.

The 【Primordial Sword Domain】 had also reached its limit and would inevitably disintegrate within three seconds!

Turning once more, Li Fei exerted force with his legs, stomping the ground into a collapse; the air in his perception turned into flowing water, very viscous, and then he forcibly squeezed it aside and broke through!

Xu Jing, dozens of meters away, repeated his old trick, simultaneously activating mist to block Li Fei's path while using the lake water and mist to drive his own body to move at high speed to one side.

But this time, a terrifying mental force slammed fiercely into his heart lake!

Consuming 561 blood souls, a full-power 【Blood Might】.

Then, activating the 【Refining Matter】 divine ability to consume 1, 00 blood souls to transform into mental force, merging it within!

This strike of 【Blood Might God】 hard-controlled Xu Jing in place!

Li Fei crashed through layers of mist, skimming across the distance of dozens of meters at supersonic speed, arriving before Xu Jing, raising the Ghost Slaying Blade high with both hands, and slashing down with force.

Fresh blood spilled from the corners of Xu Jing's mouth; although 【Evil God】 was not a specialized mental defense divine ability, it had at least increased his 'mental resistance' by quite a lot.

Added to the fact that 【Refining Matter】 was significantly weakened, the 'conversion rate' was much lower, and the mental force added was only about thirty percent of what it should have been.

Therefore, after the blade edge slashed through the mist on Xu Jing's body surface and his protective force, he recovered his senses in time and frantically activated his divine abilities.

A patch of black sludge appeared on his forehead just as the Ghost Slaying Blade struck.

One second!

The overwhelming, mountain-toppling power instantly 'burst' the upper limit of 【Black Water】, and the sludge was slashed open!

A patch of lake water appeared beneath Xu Jing's feet, and he took the opportunity to fall downward.

Boom—

The blade edge followed closely behind, the raging torrent of power breaking through the mist and splitting the lake water below directly in two, revealing the sludge at the bottom!

Xu Jing's scalp and crown had already split open, but as he fell, he tilted his head to the side, letting the force carried by the blade edge strike his neck.

Flesh and blood split open, spreading all the way down; the peerless sharpness unleashed by the Ghost Slaying Blade was almost about to reach Xu Jing's heart!

Two seconds!

The powerful vitality of a Grandmaster meant Xu Jing did not die and still possessed combat capability.

He frantically and regardless of the cost activated his Martial Dao Domain; the sludge at the bottom of the lake transformed into a giant python and surged upward, driving the power of the entire 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】!

This was the desperate counterattack of a Grandmaster!

The 【Primordial Sword Domain】 was about to collapse.

In this instant of life and death, Li Fei's heart was as still as water.

Scorching, surging flames suddenly poured out from the Ghost Slaying Blade.

The entire 'world' was divided into two poles:

Below was the split lake water, the black sludge transformed into a giant python, driving countless mists to surge upward.

Above was a massive fireball, and everything around it was burning in the raging flames!

The fireball expanded rapidly, soon encompassing the entire 'world'.

The bloodied Xu Jing widened his eyes, recognizing this move.

"Hao Yi."

Suddenly, the 【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】, already in a state of extreme boiling, began to disintegrate on its own!

This caused Li Fei to be taken aback.

How could his own 【Primordial Sword Realm】 not have collapsed yet, while the opponent's Martial Dao Domain collapsed first?

In the air, Li Fei swung his blade down.

After the fireball expanded, the entire "world" was split in two.

Three seconds!

Heaven and Earth Blade!

The giant python began to split downward from its head, completely turning into two halves.

The mist scattered, and the lake water was evaporated dry.

【Dark Cloud Heaven Swamp】, broken!

Violent power fluctuations swept outward from where the two had clashed, snapping large trees one by one; leaves, soil, and gravel were all turned into powder!

In the end, a large pit with a diameter of several dozen meters appeared on the ground.

Li Fei stood at the edge of the large pit, looking down.

The moment he finished the "Heaven and Earth Blade," the entire world seemed to stand still.

Those memories that had always been suppressed deep in his heart now surged into his mind:

"Shangguan Xiaotong betrayed the country and was sentenced to death by slow slicing!"

"Hao Yi, I have waited for you for many years!"

"Little Fei, go walk your own path..."

"Your Master, he left you a seed of divine ability..."

"Teacher Wen, my apologies."

"Disciple of the Heavenly Dipper Gate, Hao Yi's apprentice Li Fei, greets Your Majesty!"

"The Lu family can change its head."

"Xu Jing, you should die!"

"..."

"Master, Mistress..."

Li Fei looked up at the sky, a gentle light flashing in his eyes.

At the bottom of the large pit, Xu Jing was also looking up, his eyes staring blankly at the space above.

There were blade marks on his head and neck; his entire body was almost split in two, and blood was constantly gushing out!

"You said just now that a mayfly shakes a tree?"

Li Fei's voice came from above, reaching the ears of Xu Jing, who was already on the verge of death.

"In my view—

You are the weak one!"

Leaving these words behind, Li Fei turned and walked away.

All things of the past, severed with one blade!

Inside the pit, the Grandmaster, now a bloody mess, raised his hands.

He gasped violently, his hands reaching desperately upward, as if trying to grab something:

"Ho... ho... Hao... Yi... Hao..."

Plop!

The bloody figure fell.

Xu Jing, dead!

PS: This chapter is 13, 00+ words! The limit of all time!

Seeking monthly tickets!

(End of chapter)