Chapter 100: Nothing More Than This

The murderous intent in the air suddenly doubled.

Ling Xiao could not help but feel a tinge of disappointment.

So this was the extent of the Young Lord of Kongtong’s ambition.

“Ling Xiao, today I, Ye Gucheng, Young Lord of Kongtong, will kill you and reclaim the honor of the Four Young Lords of the Martial World.”

Ling Xiao shook his head.

“Your vision is far too narrow.”

“You’re just putting on airs!” Ye Gucheng snorted coldly. With a light step, a surge of force rose up and rushed toward Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao remained motionless, allowing the force to part the rain and approach him. When the energy met Ling Xiao, it dissipated instantly, not even ruffling his robes.

“I have every right to put on airs.”

Ye Gucheng’s gaze turned colder. He tapped his foot again, unleashing an even stronger surge of energy that swept away the rain within a kilometer’s radius. The vast force pressed down on Ling Xiao, surging toward him.

Ling Xiao narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.

“Not bad, now things are getting interesting.”

As he spoke, he casually swept his arm, and the approaching energy was suppressed by an even stronger force, slammed fiercely to the ground.

With a deafening crash, the earth caved in half a meter deep.

In two consecutive exchanges, Ye Gucheng had not gained the slightest advantage.

“It seems you need a little more stimulation.”

Finally, Ling Xiao made his move. Without any elaborate gestures, incantations, or flashy techniques, he simply threw a punch.

An utterly ordinary punch.

Yet as the fist was unleashed, it instantly drew out all the spiritual energy around. Even the falling rain seemed to pause, then condensed upon Ling Xiao’s fist, and, with the force of his punch, was hurled outward.

“So strong!” Ye Gucheng narrowed his eyes. No longer probing, he drew the Azure Frost Sword from his back. A flash of sword-light collided with Ling Xiao’s punch.

In an instant, a shockwave erupted, violently tearing the tiles from the Cai family’s rooftop.

Cai Xiaoya was trembling so much she could no longer stand.

This was nothing short of a battle of gods. Only now did she truly understand the meaning of the words “mortal” and “ant.”

In the face of martial cultivators, ordinary people were but ants.

As the aftermath of the shockwave faded, Ye Gucheng no longer held back. With a stomp, his body turned into a streak of light, appearing before Ling Xiao in a flash, striking down with his sword.

Ling Xiao remained calm, using his index and middle fingers as a sword, enveloped in force, to parry Ye Gucheng’s slashing sword dance.

The air rang with the clash of metal and the explosions of force, crackling louder than a barrage of firecrackers.

In just a few seconds, over a thousand sword strikes fell, yet Ye Gucheng gained not an inch.

Cursing, he increased his strength. With a slash, he triggered an explosion of energy, using the shockwave to retreat several meters.

“Everyone, clear the way!”

At the command, the crowd’s faces changed, and they quickly moved back.

Ye Gucheng leapt into the air, let out a fierce cry, and the Azure Frost Sword in his hand began to tremble violently.

“Gathering the sun and moon, forging supreme brilliance. Earth-Splitting Sword—Infinite Radiance!”

Countless streams of spiritual energy were drawn into Ye Gucheng. Rainwater from the sky was sucked upward, as if an invisible magnetic field were controlling everything.

A thunderous light shot from the Azure Frost Sword, soaring a hundred yards high, its power enough to make the very heavens and earth tremble. Within a hundred meters, the sword’s blade turned every raindrop into white mist.

“Ling Xiao, prepare to die!”

Witnessing this world-shattering strike, despair flooded Cai Xiaoya’s eyes.

This was a scene she thought existed only on television. It was utterly beyond her imagination.

“Can the Young Lord withstand this?” she muttered.

Ming Cheng scoffed.

“You’ve never witnessed the Young Lord’s true strength, have you? Open your eyes and watch carefully—this is what a real sword technique looks like!”

At that moment, Ye Gucheng’s sword slashed down. Where the sword-light passed, the air itself seemed to tremble, as if even the atmosphere feared this blow.

But Ling Xiao’s face showed not a trace of fear or astonishment.

He merely shook his head, a little disappointed.

“So be it. In the end, my expectations were too high.”

“The so-called Four Young Lords of the Martial World—are nothing special.”

With a sigh, he stepped forward, raised his right hand ever so slightly, and brought down a single sword strike.

A ripple of doubt and derision spread among the onlookers.

With just this exchange, the difference between Ye Gucheng and Ling Xiao’s techniques would be clear.

Ling Xiao was surely doomed!

But just as everyone thought this, a surge of murderous intent erupted from Ling Xiao’s right hand—so sharp and fierce it defied words.

How terrifying was this killing aura? Before anyone could even see the sword-light, Ye Gucheng’s sword shattered to dust!

An invisible force wrapped around him, slashing countless bloody holes across his body. Both arms were severed on the spot.

The power did not abate; it tore through the clouds above, rending the sky.

The torrential rain ceased in an instant.

“What—?”

“Young Lord! Someone save the Young Lord!”

The disciples of Kongtong rushed forward in a frenzy.

Ling Xiao’s expression remained placid, a faint smile on his lips.

“My battle is no place for the likes of you to interfere.”

With those words, he unleashed a punch.

The immense force drove back all the martial sages present.

“No—!”

Eyes bloodshot, the crowd watched helplessly as Ye Gucheng crashed heavily to the ground with a sickening thud, reduced to a mess of flesh.

With that one sword strike, Ling Xiao had shattered his energy core. Without his protective aura, Ye Gucheng was no different from a mortal.

Even in death, his eyes were wide with disbelief.

No matter how he tried, he could not comprehend how Ling Xiao’s strength could be so overwhelming.

He had schemed so hard to lure Ling Xiao here, only to end in such utter defeat, losing even his life.

Heaven, why?

But these were questions he would never be able to answer.

The four elders and elite disciples of Kongtong were ablaze with fury.

“Ling Xiao, you have slain our Young Lord. If Kongtong lets you leave the Northwest alive today, what face will we have left?”

Ling Xiao clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze cool as he swept over the crowd.

“If you lack the skill, do you still have the gall to be so arrogant?”

“Wretch, prepare to die!”

“Kongtong’s divine might is unmatched. We will not allow your insolence!”

“Kill him! Avenge the Young Lord!”

The crowd, filled with wrath, surged forward like a pack of wolves toward Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao lowered his eyelids, calm as a meditating monk, completely unfazed.

“A swarm of ants.”

As the words fell, they had already closed in, but at that moment, Ling Xiao’s eyes snapped open.

Twin golden beams shot out, slicing through the air with his killing intent, as bolts of wild lightning crashed down from the sky.

In an instant, the wind ceased, the rain stopped.

Blood stained the ground, mixing with the rainwater on the concrete, flowing into the sewers—a feast for the rats below.