I'm Going to Get Serious!

Xiao Qixiu raised his right hand high, signaling that the two could prepare.

Xu Xiaoshou calmly handed back the little copper furnace, then retreated a long distance away.

"Aren't you a close-combat fighter?"

Mo Mo was puzzled. Looking at Xu Xiaoshou, who had backed up to the edge of the arena, she said, "I'm a close-combat fighter too."

She pointed at herself, indicating that they could fight at close range.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. Close combat?

What a joke! He took out his scabbard and sheathed Hidden Pain, then thought for a moment and drew it again. "Actually, I'm a swordsman."

Mo Mo: "..."

"You're Innate, and you're so strong. How about letting me have a few strikes? I'll attack first?" Xu Xiaoshou shamelessly said.

Everyone in the audience rolled their eyes. Listen to that—was that even something a human being would say?

Did he have any shame at all? Yet unexpectedly, Mo Mo actually nodded. "Sure."

"Hehe, thanks!"

Xu Xiaoshou paused before adding, "Let's keep our distance!"

Xiao Qixiu could no longer stand it. This Xu Xiaoshou was really taking a mile after being given an inch! With a wave of his hand, he declared, "The match begins!"

Mo Mo extended a hand, signaling for Xu Xiaoshou to attack first.

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. He had thought Mo Mo was merely joking...

She truly did what she said. What a good person!

He had to teach her a lesson and let her know that good people did not live long in this world.

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes. An artistic conception of drifting white clouds emerged, and even the wind and sand on the field seemed to slow.

"Sword Net Form!"

He drew a sword stroke, pouring twelve parts concentration into it.

This was an improved Sword Net Form. The sword light no longer formed a two-dimensional net; instead, it staggered back and forth, creating a three-dimensional passage of sword light.

Even if she possessed Chao Qingteng's art of shifting positions, so long as she could not instantly appear behind Xu Xiaoshou, she would inevitably suffer the Sword Net's savage barrage! Mo Mo lightly inhaled the purple sandalwood fragrance from the copper furnace, showing no fear.

She slowly extended her left hand, and countless afterimages instantly appeared.

Clang, clang, clang! Strange, crisp sounds rang out.

Each time her left hand struck a streak of sword light, that streak vanished. Hundreds of sword lights, before and behind, were all caught by her! Xu Xiaoshou's balls started to ache from watching.

What the hell...

This was against human nature!

Could it be that she also had Light of Sharpness? He could tell that Mo Mo was only using an ordinary spiritual technique from the outer courtyard, called the Spirit-Severing Hand.

But who could cultivate the Spirit-Severing Hand to such a level...

Her hands moved so quickly they trailed afterimages, and she was catching sword light barehanded? One had to know that this spiritual technique was meant for close-quarters combat!

"My turn!" Mo Mo tensed her calves and charged forward.

Xu Xiaoshou inwardly cried out in terror. A sealing technique—he did not want to trade palms with this person! Several streaks of sword light shot forth, but they could not halt Mo Mo's advance at all. She quickly closed in.

He absolutely could not let her touch his body!

Xu Xiaoshou opened his Perception wide, wielding Hidden Pain in close combat and unleashing close-range swordsmanship that had lain buried in his mind, never before revealed.

Clang, clang, clang! The same wondrous sounds rang out.

With every palm Mo Mo struck, Xu Xiaoshou could feel Hidden Pain weaken a little. After more than ten consecutive sword strikes, he could even sense Hidden Pain whimpering.

Damn it!

Xu Xiaoshou's face was full of heartache. If this kept up, would his sword get slapped into scrap metal?!

"Close combat it is, then! I'll grant you your wish!"

He put Hidden Pain into his ring, feinted past an incoming punch, seized her arm with a backhand grip, and drove a fist straight at Mo Mo's chest.

Bang! Mo Mo possessed abundant combat experience. In an instant, she raised the copper furnace in her right hand before her chest. Even so, she was blasted more than thirty meters away by Xu Xiaoshou's terrifying Innate physique.

"He did it!" The audience shot to their feet, their expressions fervent!

It was their first time seeing someone win a clash of fists against Mo Mo. More importantly, Xu Xiaoshou had forced her to use her right hand!

"As expected of an Innate physique! Go, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Press your advantage and seize the championship in one stroke!"

"No, look—Xu Xiaoshou's expression seems awful..."

The two stood facing each other in the arena, suddenly separated.

Xu Xiaoshou clutched his fist, wearing an expression like he was constipated.

It really was a sealing technique...

She had merely touched him—she had not even attacked him—and after just that one punch, Xu Xiaoshou could already sense that nearly half the spiritual energy in his body had been sealed.

That alone would have been fine, but then he discovered...

His physical strength had been sealed as well! Even Light of Sharpness could no longer gather at his fist! Xu Xiaoshou began to panic. This had only been one punch—if they traded a hundred punches, a thousand punches, like he had with his previous opponents...

Would he not be sealed into a giant baby?

The kind too weak to truss up a chicken?

Too terrifying... How could there be such a wicked Innate attribute power? Xu Xiaoshou trembled inwardly.

Mo Mo covered her right fist with her left hand and lowered her head slightly. The wounds torn open by Light of Sharpness were healing at an astonishing speed.

"As expected..." She frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

Had Xu Xiaoshou seen this, he would surely have marveled at meeting a kindred spirit, perhaps even thinking that her recovery ability surpassed his own.

But he was busy frightening himself and was cowardly as hell at the moment, choosing not to attack.

Looks like I still have to use the sword...

Xu Xiaoshou looked inward. This was only the first exchange of their battle, yet he already wanted to cheat and level up.

Passive Value: 28766.

He drew Hidden Pain once more. Sword intent surged forth, making the entire arena tremble.

"Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.9)."

"Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.10)."

A flood of knowledge poured into his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou felt as though he could slay the heavens and extinguish the earth.

Yet after searching through it all, he found no way to break this deadlock.

"Ah..."

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath, returned Hidden Pain to its scabbard, but did not remove his hand from the hilt.

He looked at Mo Mo, who had similarly regained her focus, his expression solemn.

"You're very strong!"

"So are you." Mo Mo smiled lightly.

"Received praise. Passive Value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou's gaze turned cold. "I'm going to get serious!"

"Likewise."

"Hoo." Xu Xiaoshou softly exhaled.

"Sword Mastery (Innate Lv.1)!"

The audience watched the two stop fighting yet again and flirt on the stage, and impatience rose among them.

But in the next instant, Cloud-Emerging Platform, a place spacious enough to hold ten thousand people, abruptly shook as though the earth and mountains were collapsing.

"What's happening?"

"An earthquake?!"

The audience panicked, their faces draining of color. Xiao Qixiu also looked bewildered. Just as he was about to speak and reassure everyone, the sword on his back shot out with a whistle.

Xiao Qixiu: ???

It was not only him. Among the nearly two thousand spectators, every person carrying a sword found their blade humming, automatically leaving its scabbard and floating in the air.

Clang, clang, clang—

Beneath the heavens, more than a thousand swords trembled violently. Their sonorous cries nearly tore apart everyone's eardrums.

"This is..." Disbelief filled every eye as they all looked toward the jade-like youth standing gracefully on the stage.

The youth's right hand rested upon his sword hilt, his waist slightly bent, his gaze still fixed on his opponent.

Seeing this, Mo Mo inwardly cried out that things were bad and pounced like a tiger descending the mountain.

Whoosh—

At that moment, a terrifying sword aura erupted from Xu Xiaoshou, instantly flinging her away.

Sword intent that pierced the heavens rose with the clouds. Amid cracking sounds, the barrier shattered in an instant.

The visible white sword intent pierced through the void and shot straight into the nine heavens.

More than a thousand spiritual swords were swept up by the sword intent, forming a torrent of blades that circled Xu Xiaoshou through the air before finally bursting apart like fireworks.

With a thunderous boom, the swords scattered in all directions, falling from the nine heavens and returning to their owners.

"Holy shit!"

"Innate Sword Intent?!"

Xiao Qixiu's face was flushed crimson, yet a chill surged through his body.

He stared at the youth on the arena, sword intent raging around him. His face was full of disbelief, but he had no choice except to believe it!

In the arena, Mo Mo's forward charge had been overturned. The sword intent had torn her until she was covered in blood, but she ignored it completely, her blazing eyes fixed on Xu Xiaoshou.

"Innate Sword Intent???"

Feeling the terrifying power of the artistic conception, Xu Xiaoshou could barely restrain the hand holding his sword.

After pondering for a moment, he lightly nodded.

"Probably."

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