Chapter 397 376: A Fierce Collision

The moment Zhaang Ye spoke, the entire crowd erupted. A Martial Artist at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, daring to provoke a Half-step True Dao Expert—Zhaang Ye's gall was truly immense!

The woman in the long green dress was so furious her face turned pale, and the palms hidden beneath her long sleeves trembled slightly.

As for Shi Shuanglong, his face turned purple with rage. He was an Envoy from the Sect, a man of esteemed status. Even the Hall Masters of the Thirteen Countries treated him with the utmost respect. Yet now, this ordinary True Hall Disciple, Zhaang Ye, had dared to challenge him. The provocation left Shi Shuanglong both shocked and furious, and a palpable killing intent surged from his body.

WHOOSH!

A layer of shimmering green light suddenly surged from Shi Shuanglong's body. This light flowed in fine streams, carrying a bone-chilling cold—it was the Innate True Qi he had so painstakingly cultivated. The Innate True Qi poured into his twin swords, and instantly, wisps of Innate Sword Gang erupted from the tips of the one long and one short blade!

Shi Shuanglong was a sword cultivator. The Innate Sword Gang produced by a Long Sword was at least ten times more powerful than Sword Gang produced from a bare palm. His attack had yet to even begin, but the fluctuating Sword Gang at the tips of his twin swords was already tearing at the air. Wherever it touched, the very air itself erupted with a series of sharp cracks!

"Go and die!" Shi Shuanglong sneered ferociously. Two tangible beams of Sword Gang shot out like lightning, slashing straight for Zhaang Ye's legs.

Shi Shuanglong's two strikes lacked any formal technique. They possessed only a single characteristic: speed!

Unbelievably fast!

Astonishingly fast!

Sound, which can travel hundreds of yards in an instant, is already incredibly fast. But the Innate Sword Gang Shi Shuanglong unleashed was dozens of times faster still—as fast as lightning, too fast for anyone to react!

'The power of a Half-step True Dao Expert is truly extraordinary!' Zhaang Ye thought, slightly startled. 'If my Dragon Elephant Skill hadn't reached the Late Stage of the 6th Layer, I would have struggled to handle just these two strikes!' The Mysterious Blade Tip abruptly appeared in his palm. With a slight movement of his arm, it transformed into a blazing streak of Sword Qi that shot out horizontally before him.

This slash was none other than Zhaang Ye's self-created Combat Skill, the Cloud-Breaking Slash. It was a Combat Skill he had comprehended from Ancient Sword Intent, and it contained all sorts of Profound Mysteries. Powered by Dragon Elephant Power, the Sword Qi unleashed by the Mysterious Blade Tip formed a vast, boundless Celestial River, forcibly keeping Shi Shuanglong's Innate Sword Gang at bay.

CRACKLE—

A series of explosions erupted as golden and green light scattered. Blocked by Zhaang Ye's Cloud-Breaking Slash, Shi Shuanglong's two streams of Innate Sword Gang shattered into countless smaller wisps that shot out in all directions. Several young experts standing too close were caught off guard and lacerated by the flying Sword Gang, deep wounds suddenly appearing on their bodies!

A grave expression finally appeared in Shi Shuanglong's eyes. Zhaang Ye's strength was far beyond his imagination. Even a Half-step True Dao Expert would not dare to underestimate the Innate Sword Gang he had just unleashed. Yet Zhaang Ye had blocked both streams without taking a single step back. 'His power is truly terrifying!'

Down below the cliff, the four Hall Masters of the Wei Kingdom True Hall watched Zhaang Ye's performance, a keen light flashing in their eyes. The Fourth Hall Master glanced at the other three, took a deep breath, and said, "First Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Zhaang Ye has the most formidable potential of any disciple I have ever seen. No matter what, I must ensure his safety."

After speaking, the Fourth Hall Master stared intently at the other three, waiting for them to declare their positions.

The Great Hall Master chuckled. "Fourth, no need to be so tense. Zhaang Ye is a once-in-a-millennium genius with terrifyingly vast potential. Advancing to the True Dao will be no problem for him. We would never abandon such a talented disciple so easily."

The Second Hall Master nodded slightly. "If Zhaang Ye truly did not kill Gu Yunsong, then what harm is there in protecting him? Our True Hall has its own dignity; we won't allow our disciples to be falsely accused by others."

The Third Hall Master chuckled. "I also agree we should protect Zhaang Ye. In such a short time, he has reached the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, and he even possesses both Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power. In my two or three hundred years of life, I have never seen such a genius. I, for one, want to see just how far he can go on the Martial Dao."

Hearing the other three Hall Masters state their positions, the Fourth Hall Master said with a hint of surprise, "I didn't expect you all to agree to protect Zhaang Ye! By the way, you old coots, aren't you afraid of offending the Sect's Fourth Elder?"

The Great Hall Master gave a dry laugh. "This old man has already lived for more than three hundred years; my lifespan is nearly spent. At this age, what is there to fear? Besides, the Land of Divine Abandonment has its own rules. Our Little World here has never accepted outsiders. The Fourth Elder arranged for his own son to enter the Little World behind our backs. He was the one in the wrong first. Even in death, he has no one to blame but himself."

The Second Hall Master nodded slightly. "Precisely. If the Fourth Elder tries to move against us, we can appeal directly to the Sect and escalate the matter…"

The Fourth Hall Master heaved a long sigh of relief and chuckled. "Be that as it may, we still need to keep up appearances. How about this: we'll let this Shi Shuanglong go ahead and search Zhaang Ye's Meridians. In any case, with my Innate True Qi to assist, his Meridians won't be damaged even if they are searched."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

While the Hall Masters were speaking, Shi Shuanglong unleashed a storm of attacks, launching thirty-six strikes at Zhaang Ye. Each of the thirty-six strikes produced a terrifying beam of Innate Sword Gang. Every attack was viciously sharp, and their speed only increased until an area hundreds of yards across was completely enveloped by his Sword Gang!

Zhaang Ye's expression was as calm as still water. The Mysterious Blade Tip in his hand swung out again and again, painting one golden Celestial River after another across the air. With the power of his Dragon Elephant Skill at the Late Stage of the 6th Layer and the Mysterious Blade Tip in hand, Zhaang Ye firmly blocked Shi Shuanglong's Innate Sword Gang, not retreating a single step.

Shi Shuanglong's attacks were a raging tempest. But Zhaang Ye was like a mountain, a great boulder, an ancient mammoth. No matter how wildly the wind blew or how hard the rain fell, nothing could move him.

The woman in the long green dress, who had been watching the whole time, grew impatient seeing Shi Shuanglong's lack of progress. "Senior Brother Shi, are you going to take Zhaang Ye down or not? If you can't, then step aside and I'll do it myself."

The woman in the long green dress was even stronger than Shi Shuanglong. Though Zhaang Ye had displayed unfathomable power, she still didn't take him seriously. She stared intently at Shi Shuanglong, hoping he would quickly retreat and let her take over.

Shi Shuanglong's expression was as ugly as week-old stew. Before the fight, he had boasted that he could take Zhaang Ye down with one hand. In the end, he had used both hands and still failed. Now, even with his twin swords drawn, he was unable to defeat Zhaang Ye. He was utterly and completely humiliated!

Shi Shuanglong gritted his teeth. "Don't worry, Junior Sister. There's no need for you to step in. I'm about to finish him!"

As he spoke, his body shot back dozens of yards. His two Sharp Swords, emitting a shimmering green light, hovered ethereally above his head, circling in a profound pattern. With each revolution, the aura they released grew sharper. In just a few blinks of an eye, the two swords had transformed into two glittering green dragons, and the sound of draconic roars echoed from their blades.

The aura emanating from Shi Shuanglong's twin swords soared wildly, as if without limit. The sheer pressure released by the two Long Swords seemed powerful enough to shred anything to pieces. Even the young experts standing hundreds of yards away felt their skin prickle uncomfortably just from glancing at the blades!

A vicious light flashed in Shi Shuanglong's eyes. This technique of his was called Dragon Taming and World Destruction, a Combat Skill he had obtained from an Ancient Secret Manual that possessed incredible power. Infused with Innate True Qi, the twin Long Swords were like two azure dragons, wielding a phenomenal might that could easily defeat any opponent of the same level.

Just as a confident Shi Shuanglong prepared to defeat Zhaang Ye in one fell swoop, he suddenly spotted a flash of golden light. A brilliant golden Celestial River was flowing toward him!

Sensing the escalating power of Shi Shuanglong's aura, Zhaang Ye dared not be complacent and took the initiative, launching his own attack. He executed the Cloud-Breaking Slash with the Mysterious Blade Tip in his hand, sending a strike toward Shi Shuanglong from afar.

Cloud-Breaking Slash—the blade moves through the clouds, and so does the wielder. After cultivating his Dragon Elephant Skill to the Late Stage of the 6th Layer, Zhaang Ye's execution of the Cloud-Breaking Slash had reached the point where he and the blade successfully merged into one. His entire being was like a colossal blade!

The chilling aura of death descended!

"Ah!"

Shi Shuanglong could never have imagined that Zhaang Ye would launch a preemptive strike. Still less could he have imagined how terrifying that strike would be. In his terror, he abandoned his attempt to gather more power. With a furious roar, the two swords descended from above his head like a pair of azure dragons, roaring as they charged toward Zhaang Ye!

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.

The next moment, a tremendous ROAR erupted between them. The sound was like a peal of thunder from the heavens—so immense that it echoed throughout the world, causing the very earth to tremble!

Amid the deafening roar, Zhaang Ye felt two incredibly powerful forces cleaving toward him, so strong that he could no longer hold onto the Mysterious Blade Tip. Shi Shuanglong's twin swords, having clashed head-on with Zhaang Ye's Mysterious Blade Tip, were also sent flying. In an instant, Zhaang Ye's Mysterious Blade Tip and Shi Shuanglong's twin swords all transformed into streaks of light, soaring into the clouds!

Zhaang Ye's entire body ached, and he could taste the salt of blood in his mouth, on the verge of spitting up a mouthful at any moment. But instead of alarm, he felt a surge of joy. His body was far tougher than Shi Shuanglong's. Now that they were both disarmed, his own flesh was the ultimate weapon.

FWOOSH!

Zhaang Ye took a single stride forward, moving like an ancient mammoth from the Wilderness, and slammed violently into Shi Shuanglong!