"Since there's no way to probe it, why don't we try sparring?"
The ninth floor of Heavenly Strategy Manor, in the Xiao Realm.
Hearing this, Xiao Tian Ce looked up at Xiao Xuan, whose face brimmed with fighting spirit. The corners of his mouth rose slightly as he teased, "Looks like you've had enough of sitting still, Brother Xuan. Your hands are itching for a fight!"
"Enough nonsense. Just tell me whether you'll fight me!"
Xiao Xuan curled his lips and spoke with obvious displeasure.
Although he was not a battle maniac like Xiao Chen, a love of fighting ran in the bones of everyone in the Xiao Clan, and Xiao Xuan was no exception.
Now, throughout the Xiao Realm, his clansmen feared his strength and did not dare make a move against him, so Xiao Xuan could not simply spar with someone for no reason.
Seeing him like this, Xiao Tian Ce smiled helplessly, then stood up and said, "All right. Since you're in the mood, Brother Xuan, let's do it.
"But to avoid destroying the buildings here, let's open up a new space to fight in!"
"Fine!"
Xiao Xuan was delighted. Dou Qi surged through his body, and with a sweep of his hand, he pulled Xiao Tian Ce along and vanished from the Xiao Realm.
Inside the new space.
"Come on, Tian Ce. Let me see what you can do."
Xiao Xuan stood with his hands behind his back. Dou Qi churned around him, and his terrifying aura continued to rise. Clearly, he was taking the coming battle very seriously.
"All right. Let me show you, Brother Xuan."
Xiao Tian Ce smiled faintly. Suddenly, the token at his waist flashed with a faint light, and Spiritual Seals began appearing around him one after another.
In just a few seconds, hundreds of thousands of densely packed Spiritual Seals formed an enormous Spiritual Array.
Across from him, surprise flickered in Xiao Xuan's eyes as he sensed the array that had just formed around Xiao Tian Ce.
Although he did not know what those densely packed things were, he could sense that they were extremely dangerous.
"Tsk, tsk. Tian Ce's methods keep bringing more surprises. But this is a fight. I'd better not let you unleash something so dangerous."
Xiao Xuan murmured to himself, then his figure abruptly flickered. A moment later, he was already close to Xiao Tian Ce.
Seeing Xiao Xuan make his move, Xiao Tian Ce's lips curved slightly upward. Without the slightest panic, he smiled and said, "Too late. Brother Xuan, try out this advanced eighth-tier Spiritual Array of mine!"
"Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, activate!"
As his words fell, the entire Spiritual Array enveloped the rapidly approaching Xiao Xuan in the blink of an eye.
The instant the Spiritual Array enclosed him, Xiao Xuan stopped. Looking at the great array, he felt his heart tremble at its glowing runes.
"Tian Ce, did you have to bring out something this grand right from the start?"
Xiao Xuan studied it for a while but could not think of a way to break it. He then looked up at Xiao Tian Ce, who was already at the array's core, and asked.
"Brother Xuan, don't joke around. Against someone as strong as you, I wouldn't dare hold anything back. This is an eighth-tier Spiritual Array I've only just fully comprehended. It's called the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, and it's currently the strongest of all my Spiritual Arrays," Xiao Tian Ce said with a smile.
Against a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint like Xiao Xuan, he would certainly come off worse if he began by testing the waters. After all, the gap in their strength was there for all to see, leaving no room for the slightest mistake.
"So this method is called a Spiritual Array. An eighth-tier Spiritual Array, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array? Then let me see just what makes it different."
Xiao Xuan nodded. Dou Qi swiftly churned through his body, and his aura continued to soar.
Then an extremely terrifying mass of energy appeared in his hand.
Before he could attack the Spiritual Array, however, Xiao Tian Ce moved his left hand slightly. In an instant, every glowing rune within the array transformed into a longsword.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The longswords tore through the air, reaching Xiao Xuan in the blink of an eye.
"So fast!"
Even a powerhouse like Xiao Xuan was astonished by the speed of these flying swords.
Clang, clang, clang!
With no time to think, Xiao Xuan hurriedly blocked the longswords. To his surprise, however, they were not only fast but also immensely powerful.
Every collision forced Xiao Xuan back a step.
At the array's core, Xiao Tian Ce watched Xiao Xuan block the longswords one after another and calmly continued controlling the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array. After all, as long as its core remained intact, the Spiritual Array would keep operating.
Inside the Spiritual Array, Xiao Xuan had just deflected one longsword when three more came hurtling toward him.
Seeing this, he immediately flipped backward, then rapidly retreated, dodging the incoming longswords.
"There's no end to them!"
Xiao Xuan growled, then unleashed a powerful attack from his hand in an instant. It collided with the longswords, shattering them into a shower of light that dispersed.
"Every strike rivals the power of a mid-level Earth Tier Dou Technique. Tian Ce's methods truly are extraordinary."
After voicing his admiration, Xiao Xuan began using Dou Techniques to attack the Spiritual Array enclosing him.
Before he could act, however, the runes within the Spiritual Array multiplied again. At the top of the array, thousands of longswords had already pointed their tips at him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The longswords hurtled toward him, the fastest already reaching Xiao Xuan.
"So fast."
With no time to think, Xiao Xuan struck out with his palm, instantly shattering the longsword once again.
Then, looking at the thousand longswords already within arm's reach, he repeatedly flickered away, dodging them one by one.
But even though Xiao Xuan was fast, as soon as he reappeared, longswords chased after him again, clinging like maggots to bone and following like his own shadow. No matter how fast he moved, he could not shake them off.
Seeing this, Xiao Xuan understood why Xiao Tian Ce had used this so-called Spiritual Array against him.
Moreover, while dodging just now, Xiao Xuan had been surprised to discover that every longsword he shattered would be born again from the glowing runes overhead a second later.
Since this method is called a Spiritual Array, it must still follow the principles of an array.
To break it, I either have to find and destroy its core or use my strongest move to crush it in one blow. Otherwise, if this keeps dragging on, even if I don't get hurt, my Dou Qi will be drained enormously.
With this thought, Xiao Xuan began searching for the array's core while dodging the longswords' attacks.
As he dodged, he occasionally shattered a few longswords while continuously bombarding the glowing runes.
At the array's core, Xiao Tian Ce's lips curved slightly upward. If Xiao Xuan kept searching like this, he could wear him down to death inside the Spiritual Array.
"Since you want to search, Brother Xuan, let me make it a little harder for you."
Xiao Tian Ce spoke with a smile, and Spiritual Seals began appearing around his hands again.
Soon, when another eighth-tier Spiritual Array-God-Trapping Spirit Annihilation-enveloped the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, Xiao Xuan instantly sensed that something was wrong.
This is bad. The Dou Qi inside me is draining away. It must have something to do with those runes that just appeared around Tian Ce. It looks like this is another Spiritual Array.
I can't let this continue. Given enough time, my Dou Qi will definitely run dry.
And every rune I shattered just now re-formed afterward. That means all my attacks were wasted effort.
In that case, I'm done playing with you.
With this thought, Xiao Xuan swiftly shattered several incoming longswords, then called out, "Tian Ce, you'd better be careful now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Tian Ce saw Dou Qi erupt from Xiao Xuan once again as his hands continuously formed seals.
A Heaven Tier Dou Technique?
But without finding the array's core, even the strongest attack will be futile.
Here's the first update. Still writing.
Before you continue