“What sword technique is that?”
Kong Ying could sense the extraordinary nature of the Extreme Tyrant Sword. Though its grade wasn’t particularly high, it carried an aura that made him wary.
He had no desire to clash with it head-on, lest he suffer a loss. Just as he prepared to dodge, a chill ran down his spine. Sweeping his divine sense backward, he was horrified to see Yan Zhen holding a cluster of dazzling, glowing purple lightning crystals, pressing it toward him.
“He didn’t put it on the sword?”
The words “Sword Control Technique” flashed through his mind, but Kong Ying could no longer react in time.
The half-baked Meteor Sword had been mere bait. The real killer move was this Wind-Thunder Crystal, which could only be produced once a month!
Over a year had passed since he had refined the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire, yielding a total of twelve Wind-Thunder Crystals. The first had been traded to Gu Tiange for the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, several more had been used afterward, and now seven or eight remained. Each one was potent enough to threaten a Mystic Venerable expert!
Yan Zhen let out a light hum.
“Wind-Thunder Crystal, explode!”
Boom!
The purple wind and thunder erupted violently. Gale-force winds and lightning instantly engulfed the center of the altar. Kong Ying was blasted away, but just before he could tumble off the platform, he forcibly twisted his body midair and staggered to a landing.
Yan Zhen glanced in surprise at his own hand, then at Kong Ying, whose hair now stood on end from the electricity. Only then did he notice the thick layer of energy feather armor coating the other’s body, with the surrounding space faintly warping.
It involved spatial power—either eighth rank or quasi-eighth rank.
Though Kong Ying’s entire body was crackling with residual electricity, he hadn’t taken much damage. The impact had been largely nullified by the feather armor.
The Central Divine Marquis remarked casually,
“Coming onstage for a friendly spar but protecting yourself with a high-tier Mystic Artifact? That’s a bit unsportsmanlike.”
Several Venerable Lords wanted to retort, but the Moon Palace Heavenly Demon signaled them to hold their tongues.
With the Evil Consort present, any offense on their part would likely result in her killing them on the spot.
The Peacock Heavenly Monarch ignored the Central Divine Marquis and turned to the Evil Consort instead, explaining to her,
“This Garuda Feather Armor is a protective treasure that I bestowed upon Kong Ying. It activates automatically when he faces danger. If Lady Evil Consort finds it inappropriate, I shall have Kong Ying step down at once. In that case, this bout goes to the Holy Son Candidate.”
The Evil Consort lounged lazily in her seat.
“This Palace is not so petty… Let them continue. They’ll stop when it’s time to stop. This Palace trusts Yan’er’s judgment.”
“Lady Evil Consort speaks wisely. Then let the match proceed.”
Though the Peacock Heavenly Monarch smiled, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He had been suppressed by the Jialan Fairy for years, his pride wounded and leaving him hypersensitive. How could he tolerate such public humiliation?
He lifted his teacup and took a light sip before saying coolly,
“Kong Ying, show them your true abilities. Don’t let the allies of the Evil God Clan see us as a joke.”
“As you command, Heavenly Lord!”
Even as Kong Ying responded, he surged his mystic power. The space around him rippled faintly, a sign that he had touched the threshold of the Mystic Venerable Realm!
He formed several hand seals. When the seals were complete, a blue glow lit up at his brow, spreading across his face in the shape of an eagle’s beak demon mark. At the same time, mystic power behind him coalesced into a pair of azure feathered wings.
He had awakened the demon blood within his body.
“Holy Son Candidate, you’d best be careful!”
With that, Kong Ying vibrated his wings and vanished in an instant. His speed was astonishing. By the time his figure reappeared, he was right in front of Yan Zhen, stomping down with one foot.
But Yan Zhen’s reaction was no slower. He crossed his arms, summoning a Stone Shield to block the terrifying Eagle Step.
“Eagle Mountain Nine Steps!”
Kong Ying unleashed a flurry of kicks—nine in succession. Each one sent out subtle ripples in the space around it, shattering the Stone Shield Yan Zhen had formed and forcing him to retreat step by step.
The nine steps failed to land decisively. As Kong Ying’s momentum waned slightly, Yan Zhen seized the opening and gripped his ankle. He unleashed the Tai Chi Shock, channeling back several times the force he had absorbed from those nine steps.
Kong Ying felt a numbing jolt shoot through both legs. His whole body flew backward. With a flap of his azure wings, he stabilized himself midair, only to see Yan Zhen charging after him. Kong Ying beat his wings again, sending countless feather blades shooting out to halt the pursuit.
Yan Zhen was indeed stalled. His brows furrowed as earth-yellow muddy flames erupted around him, blocking all the incoming feather blades. Undeterred, he pressed forward, smashing out with a fist the size of a sandbag.
“Ninth Explosion!”
Kong Ying’s pupils contracted. He watched helplessly as the fist, wrapped in stone-like skin, slammed into his face.
Thud!
A visible shockwave exploded outward. Kong Ying shot away like a cannonball, spinning dozens of times in the air before steadying himself. A layer of feather armor now covered his face.
Yet the armor was cracked at one corner, exposing a patch of skin that had turned faintly blue.
The Garuda Feather Armor was useful, but it had limits. It could activate a maximum of three times, each weaker than the last. After three uses, it would go dormant to recharge.
It had consumed most of its energy blocking the Wind-Thunder Crystal explosion earlier. Now, even Yan Zhen’s fist had breached its defenses.
A burning, searing pain spread across his face. That was the Extreme Flame’s internal force eating away at him.
Fire overcame wind. Dispelling this Extreme Flame internal force would take Kong Ying considerable effort—at least, he couldn’t do it mid-battle.
The pain fueled his humiliated rage. Yan Zhen’s cultivation was a full six stars below his own. If he lost to this man, how could he ever claim to be the Peacock Heavenly Monarch’s top prodigy?
Moreover, the Peacock Heavenly Monarch had just ordered him to give Yan Zhen a proper thrashing. Failure would mean no mercy when he returned.
With that thought, a ruthless gleam flashed in Kong Ying’s eyes. He leaped high into the air.
Yan Zhen narrowed his eyes at the sight but did not give chase. Instead, he watched the birdman steadily.
Suspended in the wind, Kong Ying looked down imperiously at Yan Zhen and said coldly,
“If the Holy Son Candidate can block this move, I concede defeat.”
He pressed his palms together, then slowly pulled them apart. Between them materialized an exquisite Peacock Plume.
Kong Ying poured his full mystic power into the Peacock Plume. Its aura climbed steadily, growing so powerful that it warped the space around it.
The Evil God Clan members below immediately stirred. Who didn’t know the Peacock Plume was the Peacock Heavenly Monarch’s signature weapon?
The Peacock Heavenly Monarch said nothing. A win was a win; fairness hardly mattered to demon path cultivators!
The Evil Consort watched on indifferently.
Seeing this, the other Evil God Clan leaders could only suppress their tempers and focus intently on the battle overhead.
Yan Zhen had long known the Peacock Plume was Kong Ying’s trump card. Though far inferior to the Peacock Heavenly Monarch’s Natal Holy Plume, it could unleash near-Supreme level might when refined—a force even high-star Mystic Venerables wouldn’t dare take head-on.
But he dared!
Because he still hadn’t unleashed his true strength!
“Die!”
With Kong Ying’s cold shout, the Peacock Plume shot out like lightning, transforming into a massive peacock phantom wreathed in surging mystic power as it dove downward.
Yan Zhen hovered calmly in the air. He raised his hand, a gray flame igniting in his palm to form a vortex of middling size.
At the vortex’s heart, a pitch-black point appeared from nowhere, generating powerful suction.
Just as the Peacock Plume neared him, the tiny black point expanded abruptly—like a gluttonous beast opening its abyssal maw.
Xuan Huang Dual Qi Flame, fabricating a black hole!
Boom!
The Peacock Plume smashed fiercely into the black hole. The two forces collided in a ferocious clash.
