A Slight Edge

In the sky, the two figures steadied themselves and faced each other once more.

Long Xiaoyao was still shrouded in the lingering darkness from that last strike. Several tears had been ripped into his gray-white robe by the energy, yet a rare smile rested on his face. It was not triumph, but the sense of recognition that came only from encountering a worthy opponent.

"Good! As expected of Brother Mu's disciple. Let this old man properly weigh your strength and see just how powerful you are. Just don't die." Long Xiaoyao laughed heartily.

Seventh Soul Skill—Dark Sacred Dragon True Form

Ninth Soul Skill—Black Dragon Devours the Heavens

As his words fell, two Soul Rings on his body lit up at once. A pitch-black Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and a red Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring bloomed beneath his feet simultaneously. As the Dark Sacred Dragon True Form and Black Dragon Devours the Heavens were unleashed together, his body underwent an earth-shattering transformation. His old gray-white robe was ripped apart by the darkness erupting from within. His human form rapidly swelled, stretched, and distorted. Scales burst from beneath his skin, dragon wings spread from his shoulder blades, and his tailbone extended into a thick dragon tail.

A phantom of a Dark Sacred Dragon thousands of meters tall occupied more than half the sky.

The dragon was black from head to tail, with dark-red patterns of light flowing across its scales. When its wings spread, they blocked out the sun, and everything on the ground was instantly swallowed by its shadow. As it dove downward, the entire sky trembled. The compressed air let out piercing explosions, while the distant mountains seemed to have their ridgelines pressed down by an invisible hand, and the trees all bent in the same direction.

Across from him, Yan Jingzhe curled his lip. This move really was powerful. Even a Super Douluo would probably be severely wounded or killed by it. But he was already a Limit Douluo. Trying to weigh his strength with just this was somewhat overestimating himself.

Two red Soul Rings on his body lit up at the same time. Golden light rose from beneath his feet, gathering, compressing, and expanding.

Seventh Soul Skill—Light Phoenix True Form

Ninth Soul Skill—Blade of Light Judgment

Within the golden radiance, his body transformed into an Ultimate Light Phoenix nearly a hundred meters tall. Every feather was flowing golden flame, and every pattern contained light soul power condensed to the extreme. A massive blade formed from light took shape before him, several zhang long and as wide as a door. White-hot light flames flowed along its edge, like an elongated sun.

At that instant, the sky-covering black dragon phantom and the towering blade of light crashed violently together in the center of the heavens! Every sound was swallowed by those two ultimate energies.

The destructive powers of darkness and Ultimate Light instantly intertwined and annihilated one another. The world suddenly flickered between brightness and darkness. Dazzling golden light and all-devouring blackness tore at and canceled each other out. Dense spatial cracks split open at the point of collision, fragments of space scattered in every direction, and dull booms of shattering space rang out without end.

The Blade of Light collided thunderously with the black dragon phantom. Light and darkness frantically annihilated each other, countless tiny spatial fissures split across the sky, and deafening explosions echoed through the mountains.

That silent fury lasted for three breaths.

Then sound returned. Dull, continuous booms of shattering space erupted, sending all the birds and beasts in the mountains below fleeing madly. At the final moment, the Blade of Light and the black dragon phantom collapsed at the same time. The remaining energy became a visible shockwave that spread in all directions, overturning the already-fallen trees on the ground once again.

After the collision, both figures were sent flying backward, their soul power greatly depleted. A massive crater remained at the center of the battlefield, while lingering light and dark energy hung in the air.

In the distance, Long Xiaoyao was sent flying uncontrollably, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He knew he had lost.

Though he had not yet used all his strength, he had indeed fallen behind in that clash. Truly, heroes emerged from the young.

"You didn't use your full strength just now. Your Soul Core is of the yin-yang complementary type, isn't it?" Long Xiaoyao said, his voice softer than before, carrying something indescribable within its aged tone. "Your Soul Core was operating at less than half its capacity just now, yet your strength was already enough to rival mine."

Yan Jingzhe did not respond, choosing to default.

Long Xiaoyao fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight bow. The movement was small, but he had indeed lowered his head. "This old man's trip was not in vain. You truly are worthy of being Brother Mu's disciple. This time, this old man was overconfident. Farewell."

After saying that, he turned and left at tremendous speed. His gray-white figure swiftly shrank into the distance and vanished into the disturbed clouds.

Yan Jingzhe watched the direction in which he had left, hovering in the air without pursuing him.

"Your Excellency has watched for so long. Do you still not intend to come out?" Yan Jingzhe asked flatly.

There was no response.

Yan Jingzhe waited for three breaths, his gaze still fixed in a certain direction within the void. "Still not coming out? Must I personally make a move and invite you out?"

His tone grew heavier than before. As his words fell, his fingers had already settled on the hilt of the Radiant Sword, which he had just returned to his storage ring.

A ripple-like distortion slowly spread through the void.

"Dean Yan, there is no need to trouble yourself. Jin Peng will come out now." An old man emerged from it awkwardly.

The stalwart old man stood as still as a mountain, his flesh radiating a faint, golden sheen. His tiger-like eyes were sharp, and his entire physique was as heavy and solid as if it had been cast from raw iron. He was none other than the Body Sect's Great Elder, Jin Peng.

"Oh, isn't this the Body Sect's Great Elder? Are you here to weigh my strength as well?" Yan Jingzhe said with a faint smile. "Fine. No problem. I can satisfy your request."

"No, no, Dean Yan, you must be joking. How would I dare fight you..." Jin Peng said helplessly.

As he spoke, his peripheral vision swept over the smoking broken trees and shattered stones below, then toward the direction where Long Xiaoyao had disappeared. Every thought he had arrived with had already been completely overturned.

An hour ago, he really had wanted to test this newly advanced Limit Douluo while his foundation was still unstable. But he had watched that battle from beginning to end. Long Xiaoyao, a Rank 99 Limit Douluo famous for decades, had been unable to defeat the man before him. Jin Peng was only Rank 97. Was he supposed to fight with his head?

"Then why are you still here? Waiting for me to teach you a lesson?" Yan Jingzhe said irritably. "If the Body Sect were not needed for the coming continental war, he could kill Jin Peng right now."

"Yes, yes, I'll leave at once." Jin Peng hurriedly bowed in reply. He turned and fled directly into the distance.

Yan Jingzhe remained where he was and watched Jin Peng flee. Then he lowered his head and glanced at his hand. The golden radiance on the Radiant Sword in his palm was slowly receding. He returned the sword to his storage ring and patted the dust from his robe.

Turning around, he flew in the direction Feng Ling had led the group away.

Behind him, the hills that had been reduced to a mess by the battle between two Limit experts bore witness to that fierce clash.