Chapter 230 – Martial Intent Showdown
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“I too have long been awaiting this showdown. Ever since you defeated Zhang Cang, I thought I would have to wait several years, but I never imagined this fated day would arrive so soon!”
The first time Ling Sen had begun to pay attention to Lin Ming was when he saw Lin Ming’s duel against Zhang Cang. He had arrived at the scene together with Ta Ku, causing no small stir.
Lin Ming had only entered the Seven Profound Martial House for a trivial month, and yet he was able to defeat the Earth Hall master, Zhang Cang. At that time, Ling Sen had a premonition that he would eventually face Lin Ming one day. To him, this was already a very high evaluation of Lin Ming’s skills. But now looking back, it seemed that he had underestimated Lin Ming by far.
For a quarter of an hour, Lin Ming sat down in meditation, adjusting his condition to the peak even though he hadn’t consumed any of his strength.
With his thoughts completely relaxed, he entered into the ethereal state, waiting for this anticipated match.
The audience was already fidgeting with expectation. This long-awaited battle was a matchup between the fiercest top two young talents of Sky Fortune Kingdom!
This was a rarely seen once in a lifetime grand event. As far as a martial artist was concerned, what could possibly be more exciting?
Although snow was falling from the sky, the burning enthusiasm of the audience seemed hot enough to melt the winter ice.
“Who will win?”
“Who do you think will win?”
“I wonder who will be the number one martial artist among our Sky Fortune Kingdom’s younger generation?”
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Almost the entire audience was discussing this issue. They each began to express their own views and opinions of the match. There were even some discerning ‘experts’ that were deducing how the fight would progress, even though the match hadn’t even started. Ling Sen and Lin Ming hadn’t yet fought, but already there were a good number of possible versions and outcomes that had been imagined, each of them narrated with a vivid intensity.
These stories were so vibrant and imaginative that if people didn’t know, they might even think that these spittle splashing martial artists had already seen the outcome of Lin Ming and Ling Sen’s match.
This fight would determine who was at the pinnacle of Sky Fortune Kingdom’s younger generation. But, Ling Sen actually thought that his chances of winning weren’t high. Even if he won, he also wouldn’t take the position of the number one youth talent. He was already 21 years old, while Lin Ming was almost 16. This 5 year age gap between them was an insurmountable divide.
These 5 years were the most important and essential years of a martial artist’s life. Five years later, Lin Ming would definitely become a Houtian master.
But at that time, Ling Sen would have only broken through to the Pulse Condensation period.
A quarter hour passed quickly.
Ling Sen was the first to walk onto the martial stage. His pace was steady, calm, and his entire being exuded a murderous aura. The snow that fell towards him was blown away by this aura; not a single snowflake landed on his body.
Lin Ming took out his Heavy Profound Soft Spear. His spear and Ling Sen’s sword were both medium-grade human-step treasures; the weapons were fair and equal.
The two stood 100 feet apart, silently gazing at the other. The surrounding airflow around them was disturbed by their presence, as if an invisible vortex had been summoned. Billowing snow recklessly covered the sky.
“The rules will not be repeated. Match, begin!”
After the referee Elder announced the start of the match, the two of them on stage hadn’t even moved. Lin Ming’s right hand gripped the Heavy Profound Soft Spear outwards, the spear tip slanted towards the ground. Ling Sen had his heavy sword in both hands, the hilt pressed against his chest.
Although they hadn’t moved, the two of them were slowly beginning to gather their momentum.
Ling Sen’s murderous aura was formed from his countless beheadings and massacre of the Ashura Devils within his Ashura martial intent. If a weaker martial artist were to directly confront Ling Sen’s murderous aura, it would be the same as if an average man were standing stark naked in a frozen world of snow and ice. They would only be able to use half of their strength, and those whose minds weren’t as aware, might even be directly struck by dread and forced into defeat without having done anything.
But Lin Ming was the opposite. His imposing and majestic aura was formed by the power of his vitality. The force of his powerful spirit was like a billowing flame that reached the clouds. An ordinary person might not feel anything strange, but if a martial artist that cultivated dark arts of technique involving the usage of evil spirits approached, then they would feel as if they were in a blazing inferno. Any ghosts or demons that drew near would be immediately returned to nothingness.
Ling Sen’s icy cold murderous aura and Lin Ming’s power of vitality engaged in an airborne battle. One was freezing cold and the other was burning hot. As these two forces met, they would battle. Ice would not coexist with fire!
But eventually, Lin Ming’s billowing vitality overcame Ling Sen’s Yin chill. Ling Sen could evenly clearly hear his murderous aura being chipped apart by Lin Ming’s power of vitality.
‘I never thought that someone would be able to suppress my Ashura murderous intent with just the strength of their blood vitality!’
His speed was like a phantom, his body strength was formidable, his true essence was pure and thick, and he also had the support of an overwhelming blood vitality; his endurance was without a doubt terrifying. This Lin Ming was simply versatile in all aspects!
Ling Sen’s expression became more dignified. He instantly converged all of his murderous aura, condensing that murderous essence onto the surface of his body in conjunction with his heavy sword. At that moment, he was like an insurmountable existence in the eyes of all present.
Even the two Great Generals in the audience, who had reached the middle and late Pulse Condensation period, were unable to help but wonder if they could win against Ling Sen if they fought.
For a middle Pulse Condensation period martial artist to not be able to defeat an early Bone Forging stage martial artist. that was simply an unimaginable fantasy.
“Meet my sword!”
As the word ‘sword’ was said, the murderous aura that was concentrated on Ling Sen’s body began to flow into the black heavy sword. This five foot long heavy sword began to emit a piercing cry!
Cha!
It was as if space itself was torn asunder. A peerless sword wind shot forwards like a dark rainbow, piercing towards Lin Ming’s chest.
The entire area was swept up by the aftermath of the sword wind; even the tiles cracked and exploded under the pressure. Countless broken stones that were crushed by true essence was thrown into the wind. From afar, Ling Sen’s blade was like a missile that left the ground shattered in its path; it was simply unstoppable.
“Flood Dragon Goes to Sea!”
Lin Ming gave a loud shout and 5000 vibrating true essence filaments erupted outwards. Towards the surging tide of true essence that rolled towards him, the Heavy Profound Soft Spear was like a silver Flood Dragon, thrusting forwards with a grandiose momentum!
Bang!
The powerful impact formed a shockwave that was visible to the naked eye. The loose floor tiles were all sent flying backwards, and all the snow in a radius of a hundred meters was swept clean. The savage true essence continued to flood outwards. Being met with this rush of true essence, even a Flesh Training or Viscera Training martial artist felt as if they were mere leaves in a storm; they could be blown away at any moment!
Fortunately, the important personages in the audience had master bodyguards protecting them. A true essence shield was put up, guarding them from the aftermath of the true essence collision.
Peng peng peng peng peng peng!
After Ling Sen made his first move, he no longer stopped; following up his first strike with a series of attacks. The heavy sword carried an epic majesty as thick true essence congealed into each sword strike. Every strike contained an immense potential, as if a mountain were crashing down!
Lin Ming unhurriedly and calmly revolved the True Primal Chaos Formula to the limit. He steadily blocked each strike, slowly retreating backwards. But no matter how calm his expression was, every time he took a blow the stage behind him would explode, sending everyone watching into alarm!
Lin Ming took a step back after every strike and every time he stepped backwards, the stage tiles would explode into pieces. Then, Ling Sen’s sword wind would lift up all these fragments, before throwing them off the stage. In just a few moments of time, the entire stage had become very unseemly.
“This is too terrifying. Just the true essence that is scattered from their strikes already carried such destructive power. If one were to face them head-on in a fight, how could anyone possibly resist?” There were some martial artists, that believed they were strong, watching the battle on stage. As they saw the match unfold, they were gradually filled with abject depression. They had been cultivating for several dozens of years, but yet there was such a big difference between them and the two youths on stage.
“Ling Sen’s strength is at least equal to a normal middle Pulse Condensation period martial artist. He might even be able to compete with the late Pulse Condensation period!” After the masters present made some comparisons, they couldn’t help but draw this conclusion.
For someone with an early Bone Forging cultivation to cross over an entire realm and surpass someone at the middle Pulse Condensation period was simply incredible.
Bai Jingyun listened to the arguments occurring around her and silently gazed at Lin Ming’s figure, her expression complex.
Lin Ming, what cards do you hold in your hands? Just what is the limit of your power?
The battle on stage was becoming increasingly intense. True essence collided in the air causing deafening explosions, as if they were in the middle of a roiling spring thunderstorm.
However, during the fight, Lin Ming’s face wasn’t flushed; his heartbeat was normal. His blood vitality was vigorous, and his breath was long, he inhaled like a snake and exhaled like bellows. In such a calm state, a single breath was enough to let him fight for an incense stick of time.
But Ling Sen had slightly less stamina.
“Slaughter Aura!”
Ling Sen gave a loud shout, and his Slaughter Domain broke forth. This was a specialized domain attack that he developed using the Ashura martial intent! When he had faced Zhao Jifeng, Ling Sen’s sword hadn’t even touched his opponent’s body. This was because he had used the Slaughter Domain to defeat his enemy!
Huooo!
In that moment, Lin Ming’s surroundings instantly changed. The audience vanished, all became quiet, and the stage under his feet disappeared; he arrived in a completely new and strange world.
The world was cast in a dim bleak gray. The sky overhead was coloured in a dull beige tones. Endless rocky outcroppings dotted the world, and behind these rocks were hiding countless Ashura Devils.
Between the giant rocks, there were bottomless pits that seemed to lead into an abyss, exuding a limitless yin cold. Ghosts constantly crawled out from this abyss. Their expressions were ferocious, and they hungrily gazed at Lin Ming with their empty eyes, trembling with greed and desire for human life.
This extremely cold feeling was like a freezing wind that could drill its way into a person’s soul. Even though Lin Ming had exuberant blood vitality, in such an environment, he still felt as if he were being pushed down upon.
Ashura?
So this is the Ashura martial intent attack!
A martial intent wasn’t only used in cultivation; some could also be used offensively. It all depended on a martial artist’s utilization and comprehension, but also the inherent quality of the martial intent.
This Ashura martial intent was a martial intent that cultivated battle!
From this aspect, it was superior to even Lin Ming’s ethereal martial intent.
However, Lin Ming didn’t only possess the ethereal martial intent.
Lin Ming gave a cold snort, and both of his eyes turned into swirling black vortexes. Two rotating storms appeared. With Lin Ming’s eyes as the center, they indiscriminately swept out!
Wu wu wu wu wu!
The countless devils emitted heart piercing screams. However, they were unable to resist the pulling force of the tornado and were swept inside the vortex, shredded into fragments!
The gray rocks they hid behind disintegrated under the power of the vortexes; even space itself began to crack under the immense pressure.
“These are only Ashura Devils formed by a martial intent; how can it be equal the hell found within the life and death smelting trial?”
Lin Ming let loose a resonant roar.
Peng!
With a bang, the dark world collapsed!
The countless illusionary fragments were all swept into the giant swirling black vortex and completely vanished into oblivion.
Lin Ming’s Samsara martial intent was comprehended after experiencing the world of 100 Samsaras. In terms of illusion attacks, how could Ling Sen possibly compare!?
Lin Ming appeared back on the familiar martial stage. Across him, Ling Sen gave a stuff cough and kneeled down onto the stage, supporting himself with his heavy sword, his face pale.
The audience was baffled. They only saw Lin Ming pause for a moment, and then Ling Sen fell to his knees as if he had been heavily struck. In this period of time, Lin Ming’s spear hadn’t even touched Ling Sen.
Just what was going on?