Boom!
Amid the uproar that swept through the crowd, Lu Ming was the first to land heavily on the Golden Gang Sword Hall's lower flag platform, his figure plunging down like a cannonball.
Gao Yu and Yuan Da followed close behind.
Lu Ming raised his head and looked ahead. Three figures in white stood there with cold faces, watching them with faintly mocking eyes.
Their leader stood tall and straight, as elegant as a jade tree in the wind. It was Wang Chen.
"Lu Ming, looking at you, four words come to mind," Wang Chen said mildly.
"Invincible among my peers?" Lu Ming replied casually.
Even though the occasion was hardly right for it, his answer made Gao Yu burst out laughing. She hurriedly covered her mouth.
Wang Chen's eyes turned cold. "You've gotten carried away with yourself!"
"Once my Thunderfire Hall takes the leading hall's seat this year, it won't be too late for me to accept those words." Lu Ming shook his head. With no interest in trading words, he stepped forward. The Divine Ability Bone within him rumbled and shook, converting all the abundant Primordial Qi that had recovered after his bone refinement into Fire Lotus Yuan Qi.
Lu Ming extended his right palm, and a dark golden Flame Blade flickered into being. Heat surged from it, sending the surrounding temperature soaring.
Flame Blade, Perfection Realm!
Now that Lu Ming had fully completed his third bone refinement, his Primordial Qi had clearly improved. The dark golden Flame Blade he formed this time was fiercer in both its light and its edge than when he had last used it.
The dark golden blade flickered and contracted. The pressure it released filled Gao Yu's and Yuan Da's eyes with envy, while Lin Zhao and the others opposite them grew a little more solemn, wariness faintly appearing on their faces.
A Lower Divine Ability at the Perfection Realm was something they dreamed of attaining. Unfortunately, if they wanted to reach that stage, they would probably have to wait until they formed a Divine Ability Dharma Mark and became Great Divine Ability Practitioners.
After all, an achievement like Lu Ming's was rare even among the prodigies who possessed high-grade Divine Ability Bones.
Boom!
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Ming moved. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and his figure seemed to turn into a faint streak of lightning as he crossed dozens of zhang and launched the first attack at Wang Chen.
Lin Zhao and another Golden Gang Sword Hall disciple had just moved to intercept him when Gao Yu and Yuan Da rushed at them head-on. Cyan Flame Blades turned into scorching arcs of light in their hands, blocking the two disciples.
Lu Ming charged straight at Wang Chen and slashed down with the dark golden Flame Blade.
The flaming blade rapidly filled Wang Chen's vision. He raised a hand, holding two fingers together, and golden patterns of light appeared on his palm like spell markings, covering it and dyeing the two fingers a dazzling gold.
Lower Divine Ability, Golden Pattern Body!
Sizzle!
At the same time, a concentrated, razor-sharp golden sword light shot from the tips of Wang Chen's joined fingers. It condensed into a three-foot golden sword of light, its blade gleaming with a metallic luster as though it were solid.
Lower Divine Ability, Golden Sword Finger!
These were the Golden Gang Sword Hall's two Lower Divine Abilities. Golden Pattern Body could strengthen the body, making the skin as hard as metal, while Golden Sword Finger transformed Primordial Qi into sword light that shot from the fingertips. Unrivaled in sharpness, it could cleave gold and split iron.
Wang Chen had clearly immersed himself in these two Lower Divine Abilities for many years. His mastery had truly reached the peak of perfection, far beyond the ordinary Major Accomplishment Realm.
Clang!
The dark golden Flame Blade slashed down furiously, colliding with the golden sword light.
The sword light shook violently as the savage, scorching Primordial Qi pouring from the Flame Blade steadily melted away the Sword Qi's Primordial Qi.
"A Perfection Realm Flame Blade really is overbearing."
Seeing this, Wang Chen could not help exclaiming in admiration. His own Primordial Qi was clearly far stronger than Lu Ming's, yet when their Divine Abilities clashed head-on, Lu Ming's Flame Blade proved somewhat stronger.
This was entirely due to the advantage of his Divine Ability's realm.
"But if you think you can rely on a single Perfection Realm Flame Blade to sweep through me as easily as you did Lü Xiao and the others, then all I can say is that you've underestimated me, Wang Chen!"
Wang Chen looked at Lu Ming's face, so close at hand, and his expression turned cold. The next moment, the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi around him suddenly stirred. As though drawn by some force, it poured into his body.
As the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi entered him, strands of luminous markings suddenly appeared in the golden sword light streaming from Wang Chen's fingertips. Like vines, they wound around it.
The ancient, profound markings seemed to possess some extraordinarily special power. When they wrapped around the golden sword light, it immediately gained a powerful boost, and the Sword Qi's Primordial Qi grew sharper.
The dark golden Flame Blade, which had previously held the upper hand, was now stopped head-on by the golden sword light.
The sudden change made Lu Ming's eyes narrow. Looking at the profound markings that had appeared on the golden sword light, he said, "A Divine Ability Dharma Mark?! You've become a Great Divine Ability Practitioner?!"
Those profound markings, which radiated a distinctive charm and could strengthen Divine Abilities, were unmistakably the hallmark of a Great Divine Ability Practitioner: a Divine Ability Dharma Mark!
"No, that's not right. It isn't a complete Divine Ability Dharma Mark, just an Incomplete Mark!"
Lu Ming soon noticed something amiss. Wang Chen's Divine Ability Dharma Mark was incomplete and clearly had many flaws. It was an Incomplete Mark, but even so, using it could deepen his connection to the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi while boosting his Divine Ability.
With the boost from this Incomplete Mark, Wang Chen was no longer afraid of Lu Ming's Perfection Realm Flame Blade.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Wang Chen swung his sword light, colliding dozens of times with Lu Ming's dark golden Flame Blade in an instant. Not once did he fall into a disadvantage.
Violent waves of Primordial Qi shook the air, forcing both men back.
Wang Chen steadied himself and raised the sword light at his fingertips, pointing it at Lu Ming. A trace of pride appeared on his face.
"Lu Ming, you may have the advantage in your Divine Ability's realm, but I have my own advantage as well."
"Your one trick has lost its effect, and a Perfection Realm Flame Blade consumes an enormous amount of Primordial Qi. At your level, how much longer can you maintain it?"
"Lu Ming, you wanted to step on my head to make your name in Qingyuan Market, but you chose the wrong target." Wang Chen was in high spirits, his white robes fluttering and the golden sword light at his fingertips flickering. His striking appearance drew cheers from many spectators outside the lake.
Lu Ming watched the confident Wang Chen and narrowed his eyes slightly. He had to admit that Wang Chen did have reason to be confident. Compared with Lü Xiao and the others, Wang Chen truly deserved his place as the foremost person beneath the Great Divine Ability Practitioners of Qingyuan Market's Divine Ability Halls.
If Lu Ming wanted to win today, a Perfection Realm Flame Blade alone probably would not be enough.
In that case... he could only raise the stakes.
Lu Ming took a deep breath and circulated the Fire Lotus Yuan Qi within him. Then he extended his hand, and flames like liquid gold rose from his palm.
Middle Divine Ability, Golden Plasma Fire.
While Lu Ming and Wang Chen had already begun to clash,
the confrontation at the Golden Gang Sword Hall's upper flag platform drew even more attention from Qingyuan Market's many top experts.
For the two confronting each other here were the halls' masters.
Lu Jin stood in midair, clad in a Thunderfire Feather Robe. Thunder and fire flowed around him, constantly giving off furious peals of thunder, while the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi formed a vortex around him. The iron whip in his hand, wreathed in thunder and fire, radiated a pressure that made hearts pound.
Before Lu Jin, Lin Changkong hovered in the air. Brilliant sword force, bright as gold, burst from the Golden Gang Sword Hall master and formed a golden sword-force feather robe that covered his body.
Countless Sword Qi patterns were engraved on the robe, constantly releasing a heaven-shaking sharpness.
Lin Changkong's gaze was indifferent as he said mildly, "I remember the last time I crossed hands with Hall Master Lu was quite a few years ago. I had just come to Qingyuan Market and established the Golden Gang Sword Hall. We were both in the Feather Robe Realm then, and I held a slight advantage."
The Divine Ability Master level had three realms.
Feather Robe.
True Qi.
Nether Spirit.
Each of the three realms had its own mysteries.
Holding his Thunderfire Whip, Lu Jin said, his aged face as still as an ancient well, "Back then, I had no desire to contend for supremacy. I meant to be kind to an enterprising young talent like you, and only wanted to guard my Thunderfire Hall in peace. But looking back now, I was a little too naive."
Lin Changkong said, "I don't want to make things difficult for you either, Hall Master Lu. Unfortunately, I have a connection with the Great Golden Crow Hall, so I can only ask you to suffer this indignity. I imagine you've endured it for so many years, Hall Master Lu; surely one more time won't matter?"
"So please, Hall Master Lu, grant me this one more time."
Lu Jin shook his head, a smile appearing on his face. "I'm afraid that won't do this time."
"Oh?"
"In the past, there was no hope, so naturally I could only endure and retreat. I'm just an old man with a withered frame; it doesn't matter if I suffer some indignity. But now that I have a glimmer of hope in my heart, how could I be willing to let the spirit of a child in my family be diminished?" Lu Jin said with a soft chuckle.
A youth's spirit was more precious than gold.
He's the last Divine Ability Child of my Lu Clan. How could I bear to let him suffer even the slightest indignity? To let even a bit of his spirit be diminished?
Lin Changkong fell silent for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.
"Since Hall Master Lu refuses to take the hint, I can only sever that Thunderfire Whip of yours and utterly cut off those unrealistic hopes of yours."
"We haven't crossed hands in many years. If Hall Master Lu is still in the Feather Robe Realm as you were back then, perhaps you have little chance of winning."
Lin Changkong slowly raised his palm. The Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi erupted into violent motion, and a vast quantity of Primordial Qi gathered in his palm. At last, it formed a winding golden snake, which coiled around his hand, brimming with an unimaginable spiritual nature.
When the golden snake appeared in Lin Changkong's hand, even Zhou Xuan, Li Yan, and Yan Jing, on the top floor of the Lakeview Pavilion, suddenly narrowed their eyes.
This was... True Qi?!
So Lin Changkong had already broken through the Feather Robe Realm and refined a strand of True Qi!
With that, he could be called a True Qi Master!