White-Hot Climax

It was already sunset, and the setting sun had dyed the clouds red. The sun was about to set.

The battle on the peak of Mount Hua had still not ceased.

Huang Rong watched the battle with nervousness and apprehension. This scene was beyond anything she had ever imagined. In her impression, Wang Ming had always been a level below the Five Greats. Her politeness towards him was largely out of respect for Guo Jing. Even though Wang Ming had taught her several martial arts, she had never seriously practiced them.

In her view, apart from the martial arts of the Five Greats and the Nine Yin Manual, no other martial arts in the world were worth her serious attention. She had only wanted the martial arts back then because it was free. She learned them because it was fun and not difficult.

But today, her worldview had been shattered.

Her invincible father and powerful master, whom she remembered as invincible and powerful, were easily defeated by the great villain Ouyang Feng. They couldn't even defeat him together. At that moment, her heart felt like a mountain collapsing, and her long-held beliefs shattered into pieces.

Afterward, Ouyang Feng demanded that she be buried with Ouyang Ke. She felt utter despair then, even more so than when she was in danger at sea last time.

Then, Mr. Wang Ming, whom she hadn't paid much attention to, suddenly appeared when she had resigned herself to death, blocking Ouyang Feng without being at a disadvantage.

At this moment, she deeply regretted her past actions. She couldn't help but think to herself:

"I should have paid more attention to Mr. Wang back then and learned the dual-wielding swordplay and this great swordplay technique he taught Li Mochou. Then I wouldn't be so powerless today."

Little did she know that the Illusion Sword and Thousand Flowers Scatter Money were obtained by Wang Ming from a higher-level world, at the cost of his life. As long as her internal energy could keep up, they would be enough for her to dominate this world.

Her internal energy was insufficient. After using these two martial arts a few times, she felt they were not even as effective as the Dog Beating Staff, so she abandoned them. As for Guo Jing, his personality didn't match these martial arts, so he also didn't practice them much.

Behind Huang Rong stood three figures: Hong Qi, Huang Yaoshi, and Guo Jing.

They were currently sitting on the ground, fully focused on healing and recovering their combat strength.

The battle today had shattered their pride and refreshed their worldview.

Especially Hong Qi and Huang Yaoshi. It was their first time facing such a powerful opponent since they gained the reputation of the Five Greats during the Mount Hua Sword Debate twenty years ago.

A long time ago, they had heard Wang Chongyang speak of a higher realm—Innate.

However, they had no clue how to break through. Thus, the later Four Greats became obsessed with the Nine Yin Manual, hoping to decipher the mysteries of the Innate realm through its martial arts.

Unexpectedly, today they had witnessed Ouyang Feng break through to the Innate realm with their own eyes.

Deep down, they felt both admiration for Ouyang Feng's martial arts and resentment for his actions.

Ouyang Feng's attempt to harm Huang Rong in front of them showed he didn't even regard them as equals. This disregard made them feel humiliated.

At the same time, they did not want to experience the feeling of powerlessness when facing Huang Rong's crisis again.

Guo Jing had even planned to commit suicide to accompany Huang Rong if she died, but Wang Ming had reversed the situation.

At this moment, the three were doing their best to recover their combat strength.

The battle between Wang Ming and Ouyang Feng on the field had entered a white-hot state.

Ouyang Feng had broken through to the Innate realm. He had opened the Heaven and Earth Bridge and could absorb a trace of the Qi of Heaven and Earth to supplement his consumption.

What did this mean?

It meant that when facing an Innate realm cultivator, a Houtian realm cultivator's true qi was inexhaustible.

Moreover, the Qi of Heaven and Earth absorbed by Innate realm cultivators would increase the damage of their martial arts.

Therefore, Innate realm cultivators generally had a suppressing effect on Houtian realm cultivators.

Wang Ming could only contend with him through the power of his Heavy Swordplay.

The Heavy Swordplay didn't actually have many sword moves. Only three simple moves were used: sweep, chop, and thrust.

However, to Ouyang Feng, the opponent, the Heavy Swordplay felt like only impact and crushing.

What sword would dare call itself a sword?

You could call it a plank of wood. Its massive body, terrifying weight, and the inherent impact force when swung meant that an ordinary person struck by it would have their bones turned into meat paste.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Wang Ming's broad and powerful sword moves launched a continuous offensive against Ouyang Feng, like an old blacksmith hammering Ouyang Feng.

Whether Ouyang Feng used the Serpent Cane for sneak attacks, to overcome strength with softness, the Toad Skill, or the Spirit Snake Fist!

Even his overbearing Innate True Qi!

He was met with a simple sword strike. Wherever that sword swung, Everything was cleaved! Everything was shattered! Crushed and annihilated!

The massive, unreasonable sword body, infinite strength, and overbearing true qi condensed into a single intent, a single method:

"I'll chop you to death!"

The giant sword was like a ferocious, unreasonable hooligan.

It forcefully broke and destroyed everything with brute force.

This was the weapon's strongest offensive method.

If Ouyang Feng hadn't used the Innate Qi condensed from his breakthrough to cover his iron staff, the newly forged Serpent Cane would have been ruined again.

The shock transmitted through the Serpent Cane had already caused his palms to crack and bleed, and his entire body felt numb.

He knew he couldn't let their weapons clash again, or he'd be vibrated to death.

But he couldn't dodge! This kid's moves were all offense, no retreat, leaving him no chance to counter.

The iron sword was too massive, its attack coverage too wide, making it impossible to evade.

If he didn't block, he'd be smashed into a pulp by the swinging iron sword; if he did block, he'd be vibrated to death.

He knew he couldn't continue like this, so he fully mobilized the Innate True Qi within him, channeling it into the iron staff in his hand.

"Haaah!"

With a mighty thrust, he swung the staff at the greatsword.

"Clang!"

The two weapons collided violently. The greatsword lost its ferocious momentum, and the Serpent Cane, which had been straight iron, bent into a bow shape.

Ouyang Feng, suppressing a mouthful of blood surging from the internal injuries caused by the impact, extended his right hand and seized the iron sword just as Wang Ming's old strength faded and new strength had yet to arise.

Wang Ming immediately felt the continuous, ever-increasing force coming from the greatsword, and secretly marveled, "This person's internal energy is actually this profound." He then thought, "Now that we're locked in an internal power struggle, the great iron sword's might cannot be unleashed. Ouyang Feng has been practicing for a long time, his power is deep, and now that he has broken through to Innate, if this continues, he will surely gain the upper hand."

He intended to forcefully pull back the giant iron sword, but unexpectedly, Two strange snakes suddenly shot out from the hilt, about to bite the hand gripping the sword. Wang Ming clearly remembered Hong Qi's painful experience after being bitten.

Startled, Wang Ming immediately let go of the giant iron sword and used the Horizontal Void Shift to retreat about five meters, widening the distance between them.

Ouyang Feng hadn't expected Wang Ming to abandon the giant iron sword so decisively. The hand that had grabbed the iron sword, pulled by the powerful downward momentum, stumbled, and he involuntarily let go.

"Bang! Squelch!" Two sounds echoed.

The first was the iron sword hitting the ground. The second was the two strange snakes being crushed by the falling iron sword, their blood and other fluids spurting out.

Ouyang Feng's eyes twitched involuntarily, and his heart ached. Those two venomous snakes were very precious, and now they were dead.

It turned out that before the battle, Ouyang Feng had seen Wang Ming's giant iron sword and knew its shockwave power was extremely strong. If he kept the snakes in the Serpent Cane, they would inevitably be vibrated to death.

So, he carried the Serpent Cane on his back, quietly took out the snakes, and hid them in his wide sleeves.

He hadn't expected this move to become his key to breaking the stalemate.