As soon as those words fell,
everyone present was stunned.
To be that arrogant in front of an inner disciple of Dragon Tiger Sect—did the Ninth Princess not understand just how terrifying the prodigies of the three great sects were, both in talent and in strength?
“Hmph! That brat won’t even know how she died later.”
The yellow-robed elder spoke coldly.
“The Ninth Princess is overconfident. The outcome of this battle is hard to say now.”
Lin Zhengquan shook his head slightly.
“Elder Sister will definitely win. She will!”
Ye Ruoshui stared at the bright crimson figure in the arena, her eyes filled with absolute trust.
After being mocked again and again, Wang Bao, proud genius of the sect, finally could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. He let out a cold shout.
“Hmph! Arrogant little girl, you’re courting death!”
As soon as he spoke,
a massive war hammer appeared in Wang Bao’s hand. It was thick and heavy, radiating terrifying power. Purple arcs of lightning wrapped around the hammerhead, giving it an otherworldly, fearsome look.
Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Bao was the first to move. He charged straight at Xiao Minghuang.
Though he was tall, burly, and wielded such a heavy weapon, his movements were shockingly fast. In the blink of an eye he was already in front of her.
The enormous hammer, weighing tens of thousands of jin, was raised high. It looked as if it could crush mountains. Fine arcs of lightning crawled over the hammerhead and exploded in midair, the crackling sounds ringing out without pause.
“Martial Nephew Wang’s cultivation has already reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining. He’s only a step away from the eighth layer. He’s also immersed himself in the Lightning Hammer Art for many years and is about to reach minor completion. How could a mere yellow-haired girl possibly resist? The outcome of this battle is already decided.”
The yellow-robed elder stroked his beard, a smug look on his face.
He had paid the price of a single Tiger Bone Body-Tempering Pill to secure Wang Bao’s help. But if he could use this opportunity to be transferred back to the sect, or even climb his way into the good graces of a grand true disciple, then no price would be too high.
It wasn’t just the people of Golden Elephant Nation—
even on Beiyang City’s side, few believed Xiao Minghuang could win.
Lin Zhengquan’s steps trembled slightly, his gaze flickering. His fists were clenched tight, as if he would rush out at any moment to save Xiao Minghuang from being crushed.
However—
At the very instant the giant hammer was about to come down…
Xiao Minghuang moved.
Her figure blurred, and in the next moment she appeared behind Wang Bao. A longsword glowing with dazzling golden light manifested in her hand. It was about three feet long, its entire body covered in mysterious patterns, like a fallen star cast upon the earth, brilliant beyond compare.
“Seven Stars Sword: Yaoguang!”
Xiao Minghuang gave a soft shout.
A golden sword qi over ten feet long suddenly appeared in the air. It stirred the surrounding spiritual energy into chaos, rocks exploding, earth flying, dust surging into the sky.
The moment that sword qi appeared, Wang Bao’s expression changed drastically. He felt a cold, deathly aura lock onto him from head to toe, as if he would be blasted into powder the next second.
“What technique is this?!”
Wang Bao’s brows furrowed. He immediately moved, trying to break free from the sword qi’s lock.
But the golden sword qi was incredibly fast. It cut through the air in a flash and came crashing down.
Wang Bao had only managed a few steps before he felt the sword qi already at his back. With no other choice, he twisted around.
With a roar, he gathered all of his spiritual power, pouring it entirely into both hands, and smashed his hammer forward.
“Lightning Smash!”
In that instant—
Buzz!
Sword and hammer collided!
The impact produced a deafening explosion. The booming did not cease, the shockwaves spreading for dozens of miles. Countless trees were snapped in half, boulders rolled down the slopes, streams churned wildly, sand and stones flew everywhere.
When the dust finally cleared…
Xiao Minghuang stood where she had been, completely unscathed. Her dress was spotless, untouched by even a speck of dust.
Wang Bao was another story.
He was covered in dirt from head to toe, his clothes in tatters, his entire body caked in dust. His face had gone pale—he had clearly suffered badly in the clash.
Seeing this—
The yellow-robed elder’s eyes bulged, his pupils full of disbelief.
“How is that possible?”
On Beiyang City’s side, however, everyone was all smiles. Ye Ruoshui in particular was about ready to jump up and cheer.
“Your Highness, go! Beat that muscle-brain to death!”
In the arena, Xiao Minghuang remained completely focused, unaffected by the shouts around her. She spoke calmly.
“So this is the strength of Dragon Tiger Sect’s inner disciples? It seems I still overestimated you.”
Wang Bao’s face flushed red, then turned deathly white, ugly to the extreme. He had never imagined that a wandering girl from one of the Thirty-Six Nations, who looked only a bit over ten years old, would possess such terrifying strength.
“I was careless just now. But from here on… you won’t have that kind of luck again!”
Wang Bao took a deep breath, and a far more violent aura surged out from him than before.
The air erupted with sharp crackling sounds, like thunder rolling through the sky, shaking the heart.
“Thunder Hammer Strike!”
The moment he spoke—
Wang Bao’s face went pale as all the spiritual power in his body was instantly drawn out. He swung the massive hammer in his hand, smashing it down with lightning speed.
The giant hammer transformed in midair into a pillar-thick bolt of violet lightning, roaring forward through the void. Its destructive momentum covered the entire field, making everyone widen their eyes in awe.
“Though Martial Nephew Wang is only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, when he fully activates the top-grade yellow-tier artifact Thunder Hammer with the Dragon Tiger Body-Tempering Art, that full-power strike is something even a peak Qi Refining cultivator can hardly withstand. The Ninth Princess of Xia is doomed to lose.”
The yellow-robed elder declared firmly.
On Golden Elephant Nation’s side—
“I have to step in!”
Seeing this, Lin Zhengquan gripped his spear tight. He took a step forward, preparing to rush out and shatter that thunderous strike.
But what happened next made him freeze mid-step. He stared up at the distant sky, his face filled with disbelief, his pupils trembling.
He saw—
Golden light suddenly flash within Xiao Minghuang’s pupils, like stars igniting. She raised her hand and pointed to the heavens, as if she could tug on all the stars in the sky.
“Daylight Star Descent: Yaoguang!”
In an instant—
In the clear blue sky, where not a single cloud could be seen, a single point of starlight abruptly appeared. Its brilliance was such that even the blazing sun could not drown it out. It crossed boundless space in a heartbeat and fell directly upon Xiao Minghuang.
That starlight was impossibly resplendent, carrying a supreme power that words could not describe—ancient, mysterious, its beauty hiding limitless killing intent. In an instant, Xiao Minghuang’s aura surged more than tenfold!
Under countless shocked gazes, Xiao Minghuang slowly lifted her palm. At the jade-white tip of her slender finger, a golden sword light three feet long suddenly sprang into being.
The next moment—
That golden sword light expanded several times over, reaching several zhang in length, and cleaved down from the sky.
“Seven Stars: Yaoguang Sword.”
Xiao Minghuang chanted softly, almost like singing. Her clear voice was as pleasant as a mountain spring, yet it carried boundless killing intent.
Boom!
The Yaoguang Sword’s golden radiance filled the heavens, completely suppressing the violet thunder.
Buzz!
The instant they collided, the thunder was utterly annihilated. The black-violet giant hammer crashed to the ground, its spirit completely dispersed.
The remaining sword light did not fade. It slashed straight toward Wang Bao.
Wang Bao’s face turned ashen. He had poured everything he had into that one strike with the top-grade yellow-tier artifact, draining all of his spiritual power. Now he was nothing but a spent arrow, wholly incapable of continuing the fight.
There was absolutely no way he could block this unstoppable sword!
More importantly—
Even if he had been at his peak, with his full strength, he would have had no chance of withstanding a sword infused with the power of the stars.
Because the might of this sword had already far surpassed the limits of the Qi Refining realm. Even an ordinary Springwell-tier cultivator would have to avoid its edge!
But just then—
A dazzling golden light suddenly flared. A surging tide of blood and qi erupted, smothering the brilliance of the golden sword light.
Boom!!!
A massive explosion rang out as the descending Yaoguang Sword light was forcibly broken in midair.
In the blink of an eye—
The light scattered.
The yellow-robed elder was now standing in the arena, the aura of a peak Springwell expert fully unleashed. His condensed protective spiritual qi wrapped Wang Bao behind him. His upper robes had exploded into tatters, revealing his sturdy, muscular torso, faint golden light flowing across his skin in an uncanny display.
But what drew even more attention—
Were the two shocking blood grooves in his palms.
Those wounds pierced straight through his hands. Bright red blood dripped down to the ground, staining the earth crimson.
He had indeed shattered Xiao Minghuang’s Yaoguang Sword light with his bare hands, but his palms had been pierced, blood flowing freely.
At this moment—
The yellow-robed elder’s expression was as dark as could be. He spoke in an icy tone.
“You little brat… you dare injure me?”
Hearing this—
Xiao Minghuang remained unhurried. A faint smile curved her lips, though not a trace of joy appeared in her eyes. Her voice was soft.
“So what if I injure you?”
“Today, I’ll cut you down.”
