Chapter 167 - 161: Physical Showdown
CLANG!!!
Lei Jingtong’s pupils contracted. He felt the immense force traveling up his arms, finding it hard to believe.
"Such immense physical strength? Are you kidding me?"
Lei Jingtong shook his hands, feeling a numbness creep into his arms.
Yu Changsheng ignored him. A bloody tear trickled from his scarlet eyes. His qi and blood surged like the sea as he forcefully suppressed the intense pain with his Divine Sense. Right now, all he wanted was a satisfying, all-out battle.
"Red Refining Snake, Golden-Winged Eagle, do not interfere. Just watch from the side and be my Dharma Protectors."
Yu Changsheng let out a beast-like roar, waving away the Red Refining Snake and Golden-Winged Eagle’s attempt to join the fight.
"How arrogant! You’re a Beast Master, yet you’re abandoning your tamed beasts to fight me yourself?!"
Lei Jingtong was so furious he laughed. He found Yu Changsheng’s actions to be a grave insult.
The elders and disciples who were watching closely were just as astonished.
"Has Yu Changsheng lost his mind? He has powerful tamed beasts, but he refuses to use them. It’s like he’s tying one arm behind his back. Is he really that conceited?"
Wang Luyi exclaimed in disbelief.
"No. He’s putting himself in a life-or-death situation to find a new path forward."
Elder Cao took a deep breath and slowly shook his head, his eyes fixed on Yu Changsheng’s every move.
BOOM!!!
A terrifying shockwave swept through the area. Lei Jingtong and Yu Changsheng clashed once again. They moved like flashes of lightning, their figures impossible to track as they exchanged dozens of blows in an instant.
RUMBLE!!
Lei Jingtong held his saber in one hand. After sending Yu Changsheng flying with his other fist, his expression grew grim.
"What have you been taking? How could your physical body reach this level?"
Lei Jingtong couldn’t understand. The disciples of his Overlord Blade Peak had always focused on honing their physical bodies. Yet, after several exchanges, he hadn’t gained any advantage over Yu Changsheng. How could he not be shocked by the sheer toughness of his opponent’s body?
Yu Changsheng remained silent. With the Soul-Breaking Nail in hand, he didn’t use it as a Spiritual Sense Artifact. Instead, he swung it at Lei Jingtong in the most simple and brutal way possible. His movements were wide and sweeping, completely without technique, but under the terrifying force, every strike sent a jolt of fear through Lei Jingtong.
"Heaven-Burning Flame Saber—Mountain Scorch!"
Lei Jingtong gripped the saber hilt with both hands, his aura as fierce as a fighting bull. His arms traced a perfect arc, followed by raging flames that condensed at the tip of his blade into the massive shadow of a volcano. With a swing of the saber, it hurtled towards Yu Changsheng with overwhelming momentum.
Yu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed, veins bulging on his forehead. Layers of Wooden Shields appeared before him, buying him a moment of respite.
The volcano shattered. Yu Changsheng’s eyebrows and hair were all set ablaze, leaving him scorched. His Spiritual Power protected his vital areas as his figure shot out from the fiery explosion, ramming straight into Lei Jingtong.
Lei Jingtong was stunned. He never expected Yu Changsheng to withstand that attack with his physical body. Caught off guard, his chest caved in, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, spitting a mouthful of blood that scattered into the air.
Yu Changsheng didn’t hesitate. Seizing the moment while Lei Jingtong was airborne and couldn’t shift his momentum, he endured the searing pain all over his body and used Shadow Flash to appear directly below him. He then threw a heavy, powerful punch toward Lei Jingtong’s abdomen.
Lei Jingtong struggled to block with his saber, protecting his vitals. However, the force of the blow sent him flying backward again, tumbling over a dozen steps of the ladder.
Their fight was brutal, with fists meeting flesh and blades drawing blood. The battlefield had moved from the 2,600th step to past the 2,900th. At this point, the other disciples on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder stopped their own climbs, content to just watch the battle between Lei Jingtong and Yu Changsheng in awe.
’It’s still not enough...!’
Feeling the power surging through his body, Yu Changsheng clenched his fist and charged at Lei Jingtong again, a plan forming in his mind.
’I’m so close. Just one final push and my physical body can break through again...’
’In that case, let’s take this to the three-thousandth step!’
Every thousand steps, the pressure on the ladder doubled. The three-thousandth step was the limit for most disciples participating in the trial.
Yu Changsheng could already feel the resistance while fighting in the environment of the two-thousandth steps. Moving up to the three-thousandth would undoubtedly be even more difficult.
Having made up his mind, a crazed look appeared in Yu Changsheng’s eyes. He executed two consecutive Shadow Flashes to appear behind Lei Jingtong, a fireball materializing in his hand as he thrust it toward him.
Lei Jingtong frowned. His Flaming Saber circled around him, cleaving Yu Changsheng’s fireball in two. The next second, the fireball exploded, and a monstrous wave of flame washed over them. Yu Changsheng used the opening to grab Lei Jingtong’s saber hand, while his other arm wrapped tightly around Lei Jingtong’s waist.
Lei Jingtong’s expression changed. He immediately began to struggle violently, gathering a green light in his free hand and slamming it into Yu Changsheng’s back.
SPURT...
Yu Changsheng spat out a mouthful of blood but refused to let go of Lei Jingtong. After a few more Shadow Flashes, the two of them landed together on the three-thousandth step.
RUMBLE!!
An immense, crushing pressure descended from all directions, seemingly solidifying the very air. The suppression on their Divine Souls grew heavier. The feeling of carrying a mountain on their backs returned to both of them.
Yu Changsheng and Lei Jingtong’s bodies sank simultaneously, their movements faltering as they struggled to adapt to the new environment.
Given their Cultivation levels, reaching the three-thousandth step shouldn’t have been difficult. However, in their current state and having to fight in this environment, every move was a struggle.
Flames erupted. Lei Jingtong broke free from Yu Changsheng’s grasp, took a deep breath, and mobilized all his Cultivation. His saber let out a clear hum as it cut through the resistance, slashing viciously at Yu Changsheng.
CRACK... CRACK...
A series of muffled sounds echoed from within Yu Changsheng’s body. His eyes lit up. It felt as if all his bones were about to shatter. The effects of the Body Forging Pill were wildly activating within him, re-condensing, reinforcing, and reshaping his bones. Though the pain was excruciating, he was being reborn.
"Heaven-Burning Flame Saber... Destruction Land!"
The Heaven-Burning Flame Saber had a total of eight forms. Ordinary disciples at the Qi Refining Cultivation stage could only master two. Only someone with Lei Jingtong’s shocking talent could learn four. This fourth form was his current limit, and also his most terrifyingly powerful move.
Forcing Lei Jingtong to this point was enough to show that he, too, was reaching the end of his rope.
Flames coiled around him as the very ground seemed to solidify. A crimson Flaming Celestial Saber condensed from the tip of his blade into the air, radiating intense heat that burned everything.
The Celestial Saber fell, twisting the very fabric of space. A tidal wave of fire surrounded Yu Changsheng. He gritted his teeth, his body pinned in place by an unseen force.
SCREECH...
The Red Refining Snake and Golden-Winged Eagle shrieked in alarm, about to rush over and help Yu Changsheng.
Yu Changsheng looked up to face the Celestial Saber. Layers of Wooden Shields formed in front of him, but they were destroyed in an instant. The Celestial Saber continued its descent with unstoppable force, engulfing Yu Changsheng in a massive explosion.