Angels Clash, Judgment at Dawn

Angels Clash, Judgment at Dawn

The sacred pressure released by Qian Renxue was like a tangible tide, instantly flooding the center of the training grounds! The air turned thick and heavy, carrying immense power capable of purifying all filth as it crashed down upon Ling Feng! Many low-level Soul Masters in the stands went pale, feeling it become difficult even to breathe.

Yet before the terrifying pressure of a Soul Elder, Ling Feng stood as immovable as a reef amid raging currents!

Deep within his dark eyes, golden lightning and flickering images of ice and fire flashed past! An unyielding Will of Judgment, carrying the intent of destruction and judgment, erupted from within him like an invisible blade!

The Judgment Angel Martial Soul instantly possessed him! A pair of solid, resplendent golden wings unfurled behind him, their edges dancing with blazing white arcs of lightning! Light, majesty, and a trace of heart-palpitating destructive aura! Though this aura was far less vast and sacred than Qian Renxue's, the Will of Judgment at its core was like the toughest shield, forcibly withstanding that overwhelming pressure! The two collided in the air, producing a silent roar!

"Hm?" In an inconspicuous corner high in the stands, Xie Yue stood with his arms crossed, a trace of surprise flashing through his crimson eyes. "This kid's Martial Soul... has something to it. He can actually withstand the Young Master's pressure?"

Beside him, Hu Liena, a fox-charming girl with a fiery figure and peerlessly alluring face, had a similarly brilliant gleam in her beautiful eyes. "A light attribute? Lightning? And that... deeply unpleasant sense of destruction? No wonder His Eminence the Pope thinks so highly of him." Her gaze lingered on Ling Feng's calm face for a moment.

On the other side, Dugu Yan, dressed in dark green combat attire, leaned lazily against the railing, her emerald serpent eyes watching the arena with interest. "Wings of Judgment? The name is certainly imposing. But I wonder if it's all flash and no substance?" A wicked curve lifted at the corner of her lips.

In the arena.

"Wings of Judgment? They truly live up to their name." A trace of gravity flashed through Qian Renxue's golden eyes, but even more than that was a fighting spirit roused by provocation! "But presence alone isn't enough! Take this!"

She moved!

Her golden figure vanished from where she stood as though teleporting! The next instant, she appeared at Ling Feng's side! The Angel Holy Sword in her hand carved a dazzling golden arc through the air, carrying a sacred aura that could purify all things as it tore through the air and slashed fiercely toward Ling Feng's waist and abdomen! The speed and tricky angle far exceeded Ling Feng's expectations!

So fast! Ling Feng's pupils contracted! The speed of a Soul Elder truly was terrifying!

But he had been prepared! His thoughts raced!

Spear of Judgment!

Purple-gold light instantly gathered in his palm! A battle spear over three meters long, wrapped in golden lightning and holy flames, took shape in an instant! Rather than blocking, he slid sideways at an unbelievable angle while the Spear of Judgment shot out like a venomous snake, releasing a piercing shriek as it struck later yet arrived first, stabbing straight at Qian Renxue's sword-wielding wrist! Attack where the enemy had to defend! Offense in place of defense!

"Hmph!" Qian Renxue snorted coldly and flipped her wrist. The Angel Holy Sword changed from a slash into an upward sweep, striking the tip of the Spear of Judgment with perfect precision!

Clang—!!!

A deafening clash of metal rang throughout the arena!

Purple-gold lightning and sacred golden flames exploded violently! A berserk energy shockwave swept outward from the two of them, cracking the hard obsidian floor with countless fine fissures!

Ling Feng felt an irresistible force surge through the spear shaft. His palm shook violently, his arm went numb, and his body slid backward uncontrollably several steps! Every step left a clear footprint in the ground! The enormous gap in their Soul Power was laid bare!

Qian Renxue also swayed slightly, a faint numbness spreading through the arm holding her sword. The surprise in her eyes deepened! She had used nearly seventy percent of her strength in that strike, thinking it would be enough to knock away his weapon, yet it had only forced him back! The power from that purple-gold spear, along with its tearing Will of Judgment, had actually made even her sacred Soul Power feel slightly sluggish!

"What a tough spear! What domineering power!" The fighting spirit in Qian Renxue's golden eyes intensified. "First Soul Skill, Sacred Light!"

Her first Soul Ring—yellow—suddenly lit up! The Angel Holy Sword blazed brilliantly! A concentrated golden beam, like the core of the sun itself, locked onto Ling Feng in an instant and shot forth with terrifying heat capable of purifying all evil! It was so fast that dodging was nearly impossible!

Ding! Qian Renxue's first Soul Skill has locked on! God-Tier Choice triggered!

Choice One: Meet it head-on with the Spear of Judgment! Clash with ultimate offense! Reward: Tough Guy evaluation, deeper comprehension of the Spear of Judgment, high chance of severe injury!

Choice Two: Light Wing Guardian! Defend with all your strength and endure it! Reward: defensive insight, high chance of minor injury, enormous Soul Power consumption!

Choice Three: Thunder Refraction! Detonate the lightning power of the Spear of Judgment to disrupt the beam's trajectory, while using the force to shift sideways! Reward: Tactical Master evaluation, improved lightning control. Risk: A mistake will result in severe injury!

"Refraction!" Ling Feng decided instantly! Meeting it head-on or tanking it were both inferior choices!

His thoughts whirled, and the blazing white lightning arcs wrapped around the Spear of Judgment surged to their limit! At the instant Sacred Light was about to strike him, he thrust the Spear of Judgment diagonally upward, its tip precisely touching the edge of the beam!

Lightning power collided violently with the sacred beam! The expected explosion did not occur. The lightning contained within the Spear of Judgment seemed to possess a strange guiding and tearing quality, forcibly ripping apart the concentrated beam and refracting it at a tiny angle! At the same time, Ling Feng cleverly redirected the immense force of the impact. His body was shoved away as though by an invisible giant hand, narrowly sliding past the edge of the beam!

Sizzle! The intense heat at the beam's edge burned a charred hole through the sleeve on his left arm. His skin stung with pain, but his bones and tendons remained unharmed!

"Beautiful!" Hu Liena could not help crying out from the stands, her beautiful eyes shining. This level of precise Soul Skill control and adaptability in a crisis far surpassed that of others his age!

"Just a trick," Dugu Yan said with a curl of her lips, though the interest in her emerald serpent eyes deepened.

A chill entered Qian Renxue's golden eyes! Both of her attacks had been neutralized through cleverness, leaving her somewhat unable to save face. "Let's see how long you can keep dodging! Second Soul Skill, Angel Assault!"

Her second Soul Ring—yellow—lit up! A pair of even more solid golden light wings instantly spread behind her! Her speed surged again! Her entire body transformed into a streak of golden lightning, the Angel Holy Sword leading the way as sword and body became one, thrusting toward Ling Feng like a meteor with a sharp force that could pierce anything! This time, the attack covered an enormous area and moved even faster, nearly sealing off every route of escape!

There was nowhere to dodge! He could only take it head-on!

A cold gleam erupted in Ling Feng's eyes! He knew he could no longer remain passive! He had to counterattack! He had to force out an opening!

"Judgment!" he roared, advancing instead of retreating! The purple-gold radiance on the Spear of Judgment instantly drew inward, every shred of Soul Power and every ounce of mental will gathering at a single point on its tip! A Will of Judgment capable of piercing souls and tearing apart falsehoods erupted! He pushed the offensive power of the Spear of Judgment to its absolute limit! Like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, he thrust fiercely toward that golden meteor!

Needle against wheat awn! A point piercing a surface!

Boom—!!!!

An even more terrifying explosion erupted at the center of the training grounds! Blinding golden light and purple-gold lightning intertwined and annihilated each other wildly. Violent Energy Turbulence raged like a hurricane, sweeping shattered stones into the sky!

Two figures were blasted backward from the center of the explosion at the same time!

Qian Renxue performed a nimble flip in midair and landed steadily. A little dust stained her golden Battle Armor, and her breathing was slightly hurried, but she was otherwise unharmed.

Ling Feng was in far worse shape. He flew back over ten meters like a kite with its string cut before barely managing to brace himself with the Spear of Judgment. His face was pale, a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, and the arm holding his spear trembled slightly. Clashing head-on with a Soul Elder's second Soul Skill had cost him dearly despite the tremendous offensive power of the Spear of Judgment. The vast gap in Soul Power remained too great.

However, just as he had yet to steady himself!

A sharp glint flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes! An opportunity to strike a fallen foe!

"It's over!" she shouted. Her third Soul Ring—purple! A thousand-year ring!—suddenly lit up! An even more sacred and vast aura descended with a roar!

"Third Soul Skill, Angel Wings!"

The pair of light wings behind her instantly expanded and solidified, sacred runes flowing along their edges! She seemed to transform into a true angel, her speed, strength, and Soul Power all rising dramatically in an instant! Her figure flashed, and she appeared above Ling Feng as though teleporting. Raising the Angel Holy Sword high, she brought it down with the resplendent divine might of judging sins, like a sword of heavenly punishment! Before the sword even arrived, its terrifying pressure had already locked Ling Feng firmly in place, as if it would purify him together with the earth beneath his feet!

Cries of alarm rang out from the stands! A thousand-year Soul Skill! The Young Master was getting serious! If that sword came down, Ling Feng would be crippled even if he survived!

Hu Liena and Xie Yue's expressions changed slightly. Dugu Yan also straightened up, a trace of gravity flashing through her emerald serpent eyes.

Ding! Fatal crisis! Qian Renxue's third Soul Skill has locked on! God-Tier Choice ultimate assistance!

Option One: Will of Judgment eruption! Forcefully overdraw your power and use the Spear of Judgment to meet heavenly punishment head-on! Reward: Pyrrhic victory (brutal), greatly increased Will of Judgment, Martial Soul Origin damaged!

Option Two: Eye of Destiny observation! Capture Qian Renxue's momentary flaw (30% success rate)! Reward: survival from mortal peril, improved Eye of Destiny proficiency! Failure: severe mental backlash!

Option Three: System life preservation, one-time only! Absolute defense shield (0.5 seconds)! Reward: no injuries, expose your greatest trump card! Cooldown: one year!

In that split second!

The golden Will of Judgment in Ling Feng's eyes burned to its peak! He chose... Option Two! The Eye of Destiny!

His trump card could not be exposed lightly! An eruption of the Will of Judgment carried too great a price! His only path was to observe her flaw and survive through peril!

"Observe!" he roared within the depths of his soul!

A violent headache pierced his mind like countless steel needles! Interference noise shrieked in his ears! The world before his eyes instantly twisted and tore apart! Blurry, flickering Fate Fragments filled with interference forcibly flooded into his consciousness:

Fragment One: Qian Renxue held the holy sword aloft, sacred and majestic, but beneath her left light wing, an extremely faint flow of golden Soul Power stagnated for an instant due to a minor flaw in Soul Power circulation from releasing Soul Skills in succession!

Fragment Two: In the trajectory of the descending sword of heavenly punishment, when it came within three feet of Ling Feng's head, the sacred flames would form an almost imperceptible... point where its power dispersed due to excessive energy concentration!

Fragment Three: Deep within Qian Renxue's cold golden eyes hid an extremely faint trace of... anxiety over insufficient control of her own power? Because of Ling Feng's unexpected resistance.

Now!

Ling Feng ignored the resplendent heavenly punishment descending upon him, ignored his fear of death! Every ounce of mental will and every shred of remaining Soul Power condensed into a single point! He suddenly raised his head, and his dark pupils instantly turned pure gold! The Eye of Judgment opened once more! This time, it targeted the barely perceptible point of stagnant Soul Power beneath Qian Renxue's left light wing! At the same time, the Spear of Judgment no longer met the sword edge head-on. Instead, like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, it thrust with unwavering resolve toward the point three feet along the descending trajectory of the heavenly punishment sword where its power dispersed!

The tip of the Spear of Judgment did not create an earth-shattering collision. Instead, like a red-hot iron piercing butter, it stabbed with absolute precision into that point where the heavenly punishment sword's power was most dispersed! The Will of Judgment and destructive lightning within it erupted instantly!

Crack!

A faint but chilling sound of shattering rang out!

The sacred sword of light that seemed capable of purifying everything, less than a foot from Ling Feng's head, was actually... pierced through by the Spear of Judgment that had gathered all his strength, tearing open a breach!

Violent sacred energy instantly poured out through that opening, losing the sword force's concentration! Though the aftermath still blasted Ling Feng away and gouged a deep trench through the ground, its power had already been greatly reduced!

At the instant the Spear of Judgment pierced the sword of light, Qian Renxue's body jolted violently! The point of stagnant Soul Power beneath her left light wing was struck precisely by the Mental Shock of the Eye of Judgment, like a short circuit! The angel light wings behind her flickered violently, and her body stiffened for an extremely brief moment!

An opening!

While flying backward, Ling Feng endured the agony that made his entire body feel as though it were falling apart, as well as the dizziness from overdrawn Soul Power. A fierce light flashed through his eyes! He stomped hard on the ground, forcibly twisting his body like an injured leopard. Using the momentum of his flight, he curled the fingers of his left hand into a claw, pouring in every bit of remaining strength as it tore through the air with a shriek and fiercely grabbed at Qian Renxue's... slender ankle, exposed by the stagnation in her light wing!

He was going to counterattack! Even if he could only touch her! He would prove his edge!

Qian Renxue had just recovered from her stiffness when she felt her ankle tighten! A cold, domineering force carrying the Will of Judgment instantly clamped down on her! Alarm bells blared in her heart! Never before had anyone dared profane her sacred body in such a manner!

"Impudent!" Qian Renxue was both shocked and enraged! Her Soul Power erupted instinctively! A powerful sacred force exploded from her ankle!

Ling Feng's clawed hand was violently knocked away as though struck by lightning, his palm splitting open and blood dripping freely! His body was blasted away again, crashing heavily to the ground, unable to rise any longer. He gasped heavily, covered in blood and looking utterly miserable, but his eyes remained fixed stubbornly on Qian Renxue, burning with unyielding fire!

Qian Renxue, meanwhile, was completely unharmed. Yet as she stood there, her golden eyes were filled with shock, humiliation, anger, and a trace of... incredulous embarrassment! She lowered her head to look at the ankle that had been seized. It seemed to still retain the other party's cold and domineering aura. She... the Young Master of Spirit Hall, bearer of the Six-Winged Angel, had nearly been knocked to the ground by a brat who had only just obtained his first Soul Ring... and he had even... grabbed her ankle?!

The entire arena fell silent!

A pin could have been heard dropping!

Everyone stared dumbfoundedly at the bloodied young man lying miserably in the arena but still glaring defiantly, then at the noble Young Master standing in place, her face alternating between green and white as her aura fluctuated unsteadily!

There was no victor in this battle. But with his Spear of Judgment and unyielding will, Ling Feng had carved an unforgettable name into everyone's hearts!

Hu Liena's beautiful eyes widened, her small mouth slightly open as she watched Ling Feng's bloodied figure. For some reason, her heartbeat quickened. In Dugu Yan's emerald serpent eyes shone intense curiosity and a trace of... unusual light. For the first time, genuine gravity appeared in Xie Yue's crimson eyes.

The referee elder swallowed hard and announced with difficulty, "The spar... ends here!"