"Fellow Cultivator Xuanyuan, you're too kind. I gained a great deal from our exchange as well. As for holding back, that's hardly worth mentioning. Didn't you refrain from using your bloodline power too?"
Yang Lingrui waved a hand as he spoke.
He was not being overly modest. This was his first formal clash with a cultivator of the same realm since severing the Soul-Returning Grand Art and the karmic ties of his past.
Xuanyuan Xinghe had been a foremost prodigy of the previous generation and was the greatest talent of the Xuanyuan Clan, a major clan of the Central Region. His strength far surpassed that of an ordinary True Intent Cultivator.
Crossing hands with such an expert of the same realm greatly helped Yang Lingrui deepen his command of the True Intent of the Way of Slaughter and his understanding of the arts he cultivated.
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Xinghe cupped his hands again in gratitude.
After Yang Lingrui severed his connection to his own arts, Xuanyuan Xinghe had come to understand the gap in strength between himself and this official of the Yang Clan.
With the power of the Killing Dao at his command, Yang Lingrui could have defeated him with a single judgment the first time he tempered the Star Chief Secret Art. But he had not.
Later, when Xuanyuan Xinghe's attacks failed to break through and he activated his secret art again, Yang Lingrui could likewise have beaten him in one move. Yet he had still held back, allowing Xuanyuan Xinghe to build his momentum to its peak and bring all his strength to bear, short of his life-or-death techniques.
Yang Lingrui might have said he had gained something from their exchange too, but Xuanyuan Xinghe knew full well that he was the one who had benefited enormously