Chapter 718 Clash of Heavenly Rank Battle Techniques

"Tsk tsk, this is actually... the ancient clan's ultimate technique, 'Great Annihilation Technique'? It seems this ancient clan kid has truly been driven to the brink, and is even willing to reveal his trump card."

Mang Tianchi paused slightly as he stroked his beard, his previously nonchalant smile vanished, and a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes.

He had seen records of this ancient clan's secret technique in ancient books in his early years, so he was naturally aware of its terrifying power. It was a destructive force that could forcibly strip away the life force of the surroundings and even freeze the fighting spirit. Ordinary Dou Zun would die if they came into contact with it.

But that somber mood vanished in an instant. His gaze swept over Xiao Ling, who remained calm and composed in the arena, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips as he muttered to himself.
"However, there is no need to worry too much. Although the ancient clan's 'Great Annihilation Technique' is powerful, it ultimately depends on who uses it. The ancient demon's cultivation level of a nine-star Dou Zun is not far behind Xiao Ling's. Even if he uses all his strength to activate his ultimate technique, he probably won't be able to hurt Xiao Ling in the slightest. At most, it will be a waste of effort."

As the eldest daughter of an ancient clan, Xun'er naturally understands the origins and power of the "Great Annihilation Technique" better than others.

But now she stood on the stands, her delicate hand gently gathering the hem of her skirt, her face showing no sign of solemnity. Her clear eyes gazed at the tall figure in the arena, her expression still as calm as autumn water.

Her thoughts at this moment were not much different from Mang Tianchi's. Although Gu Yao had mastered the ultimate technique, the gap between him and Xiao Ling was far beyond what a single ultimate technique could bridge.

Since Xiao Ling could easily break the "Beast King's Roar," this "Great Annihilation Technique" would most likely not harm him in the slightest, so there was no need to worry about him.

Of course, not everyone is like Mang Tianchi and Xun'er, who understand Xiao Ling's true strength.

Apart from the clansmen and elders of the ancient clans, most of the thousands of spectators in the arena had only heard of the name "Great Annihilation Technique" and had never seen this ancient clan's ultimate skill truly manifest in the world. Now that they saw the ancient demon activating it, those who were sitting quietly all stood up straight and even subconsciously softened their breathing.

Some people stood on tiptoe to look into the arena, their eyes filled with barely suppressed anticipation, wanting to see for themselves just how terrifying the power of this move that allowed the elders to reinforce their protective shields in advance was.

Some people's eyes darted back and forth between Gu Yao and Xiao Ling, their fists clenched. They had seen Xiao Ling remain nonchalant earlier, but now they wanted to see if he could maintain his composure in the face of Gu Yao's trump card, and whether he could truly handle it easily once again.

"A Heavenly Rank Battle Technique..."

Xiao Ling gazed at the ancient demon in the arena with his eyes slightly closed. Even the vitality flowing around his body was fading at a visible speed. The fingers that were originally resting at his side curled slightly, and the nonchalant look on his face finally faded a bit.

The ancient clans are, after all, a super power in the Central Plains with a history of tens of thousands of years. The Heavenly Rank Battle Techniques that are sought after by the outside world are not uncommon in their clans. Moreover, those that can be used as trump cards must be the top-tier existences among their peers, and their power should not be underestimated.

He had heard Xun'er mention the details of this "Great Annihilation Technique" before, so he naturally had some understanding of it. Now, seeing the ancient demon recklessly consuming its life force, it was clear that it intended to ignore the side effects and gamble all its resources on this strongest attack.

Xiao Ling felt a faint golden aura flowing quietly through his fingertips. He had already made a plan in his mind. If he still only used his cultivation as a nine-star Dou Zun, he would have to be really focused if he wanted to reliably defeat this move. He could no longer deal with it as casually as before.

As soon as this thought crossed Xiao Ling's mind, his aura stirred slightly. Without further delay, the moment the thought arose, the battle qi within his body awakened like a dormant torrent. His long hair moved without wind, and a faint golden light of battle qi seemed to flow between the strands, causing even the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

He slowly raised his arm, his right palm reaching forward in a half-hearted gesture. The bluish-purple dragon scales that had covered his arm quietly faded away, revealing a section of his fair, jade-like arm. Only in his palm was the fighting spirit gathering and swirling wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Since you are willing to fight with a Heaven-Rank combat technique, it would be a shame if I just dealt with it casually.” Xiao Ling’s voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the square. “Then I will use this move of mine to receive your ‘Great Annihilation Technique’.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the fighting spirit in his palm suddenly accelerated its rotation, gradually condensing into a black dot the size of a pinhead.

As Xiao Ling continued to inject his battle qi, the black dot began to "breathe" as if it were alive. Ripples of energy spread out, and the black dot slowly expanded, eventually turning into a black hole the size of a fist in just a few breaths.

Twisted air currents swirl around the edge of the black hole, where violent energy crashes and roars wildly, accompanied by a faint, chaotic hum.

The sound was unlike any other sound in the world; it was deep and eerie, sending chills down one's spine the moment it entered the ear, as if even one's soul was about to be sucked into that black hole.

Those who could gather around the square were either from ancient races or insightful individuals from various forces in the Central Plains; their vision was already quite broad.

At this moment, everyone felt the aura emanating from the black hole in Xiao Ling's palm. That domineering yet chaotic energy fluctuation was far beyond what ordinary fighting techniques could achieve. Everyone's expression changed, and many people subconsciously gasped.

"This...this is a genuine Heaven-Rank Battle Technique!" someone couldn't help but exclaim, their voice filled with shock.

They were already shocked to see the ancient demon use the "Great Annihilation Technique" before, but now Xiao Ling has also brought out a Heaven-rank fighting technique. Most of the people present have never seen such a collision in their lives.

A chorus of voices surged forth instantly, mixed with disbelief: "Although the Xiao Clan was one of the eight ancient clans, it has declined for many years and its lineage is almost broken. How could Xiao Ling possess a Heaven-Rank Battle Technique?"

"He must have obtained an incredible opportunity! Otherwise, how could someone so young possess both formidable strength and such a trump card?"

The crowd, which had been holding their breath and watching, suddenly became very lively. Some people huddled together and analyzed in hushed tones, while others stared intently at the black hole in Xiao Ling's palm, their eyes full of anticipation. Just thinking about the scene of a clash of Heaven-Rank Battle Techniques made their hearts race.

"I didn't expect you to possess a Heaven-Rank Battle Technique..." The ancient demon's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing a deathly coldness within them. His voice was hoarse yet carried an undeniable arrogance.
"But it doesn't matter! My ancient clan's ultimate technique is invincible. No matter how strong your fighting skills are, I can break them with a single finger today!"

Before he finished speaking, he slowly raised his right hand, extending only one finger. The fingertip was surrounded by dense black-gold battle qi, and he gently pressed it down into the void. The movement seemed slow, but it carried a heavy feeling of suppressing heaven and earth.

"Great Extinction Finger!"

The instant the finger touched the ground, the air in the entire square seemed to be sucked out, and even the clouds in the sky seemed to freeze completely.

The next second, an aura of annihilation, originating from the depths of the Nine Nether Abyss, erupted from the fingertip of the Ancient Demon, sweeping across the entire area like a hurricane. Wherever it passed, even the golden halo flowing on the protective shield dimmed, and the remaining weeds in the cracks of the bluestone on the ground turned to ashes in an instant.

"Boom boom boom!"

The brief freeze was abruptly shattered, and the thick, dark clouds in the distant sky began to writhe wildly. Terrifying energy surged within the black clouds, and countless streaks of dark lightning could be seen weaving through them, as if a lurking ancient beast was about to break through the clouds and drag this world into annihilation.

"Tsk tsk, still with that arrogant tone? It seems the lesson I taught you earlier wasn't lenient enough." Xiao Ling looked at the increasingly dense aura of annihilation at the ancient demon's fingertips, a faint smile playing on his lips, his tone laced with casual mockery.
"Then today, let me test the true power of your 'Great Annihilation Finger'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the energy black hole in his palm had expanded to the size of a human head. The chaotic airflow at the edge of the black hole surged wildly. The terrifying energy was locked inside, but there were still wisps of devouring power spreading out. The surrounding light seemed to be pulled, and even the air was slowly flowing towards the black hole. It was as if anything in the world that touched it would be instantly annihilated into nothingness.

The next second, Xiao Ling stomped forward with his foot! Several fine cracks appeared on the bluestone ground. He slightly flexed his arm, and the black hole containing terrifying energy shot out with his palm, letting out a low shout.
"Great Fortune Palm!"

The black hole that Xiao Ling pushed out from his palm transformed into a jet-black halo the moment it touched the void in front of him. The edge of the halo was tinged with a faint halo of chaos. Under Xiao Ling's precise control, it spread directly toward the direction where the ancient demon was located without any hesitation.

The power of this black halo far exceeded expectations. Wherever it passed, the free energy in the air was instantly devoured, and even the scattered bluestone fragments on the square disappeared without a trace the moment they came into contact with it.

Even more terrifying, the void it swept across seemed to have been completely erased, leaving only a deathly darkness, as if it had never existed.

The ancient demon hovered between heaven and earth, its cold gaze fixed on the black circle that tore through the void and spread rapidly toward it, and the unprecedented feeling of unease in its heart grew stronger.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately raised his right hand high, his fingertips pointing at the rolling dark clouds in the sky, and clenched his arm tightly!
"Oh!"

A dull, deafening roar erupted from the clouds, abruptly freezing the previously frantically churning dark clouds. Then, to the astonishment of the crowd in the square, the thick cloud layer split open as if cleaved by a sharp blade.

A gigantic, pitch-black finger, hundreds of feet long, burst forth from the clouds, carrying a shadow that blotted out the sky. Its fingertip was shrouded in an aura of annihilation so dense it was almost impenetrable. Like a meteor, it plummeted from the sky and pressed down heavily on the ever-expanding black halo!
The power of this pitch-black giant finger was terrifying to the extreme. Wherever it passed, the void was forced to crack, and a spatial rift a thousand feet long spread like a spider web, even the surrounding light was swallowed up by the aura of annihilation.

What's even more chilling is that the power emanating from the giant finger seems capable of annihilating all life in the world; a mere touch will turn everything to ashes.

Seeing that the two terrifying methods were about to collide head-on, the usually arrogant experts around the square turned pale, and many of them subconsciously took a half step back, their breathing becoming extremely tense.

They gazed at Xiao Ling's black halo that could annihilate the void, and then at the ancient demon's hundred-foot-long giant finger that cleaved the sky and carried an aura of annihilation; only a chilling cold remained in their hearts.

It's hard to imagine what would happen if I were the target of these two moves. Even if the aftershocks of the battle just slightly touched me, I probably wouldn't be able to escape the fate of "death upon contact," let alone face these two terrifying forces head-on.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands, the massive black finger, carrying an aura of annihilation, finally hurtled towards us like a meteor, colliding heavily with the ever-expanding black halo!
"Boom--!"

The terrifying impact sounded like two stars colliding, instantly unleashing a deafening roar that shook the heavens and the earth.

The entire mountain range trembled violently under the impact of this force. Cracks, each ten feet wide, spread wildly across the ground like a spider web, centered on the point of impact. Even the sturdy plaza, made of special minerals and capable of withstanding the impact of a Dou Zun, collapsed and crumbled in an instant, with rubble flying in all directions like raindrops.

"Boom!"

Energy ripples carrying an aura of destruction spread outwards from the point where Gu Yao and Xiao Ling's moves collided, like an invisible storm, slamming into the battle qi shields surrounding the plaza. The shields were instantly shaken violently, and the golden halo flowing on their surface flickered, as if they were about to shatter at any moment.

"Humph!"

Such a terrifying impact was difficult for even the three ancient clan elders who were protecting them to withstand. Their faces instantly turned pale, and they all let out a muffled groan.

They dared not hesitate for a moment, and immediately focused their energy, continuously pouring their fighting spirit into the light shield, doing their best to maintain the integrity of the barrier.

However, the aftershocks of these two Heaven-rank combat techniques clashing were far more powerful than expected. In just a short while, the three elders' auras became somewhat unstable, and their internal combat energy showed signs of exhaustion.

"They actually went to such lengths..."

The three elders looked at the still rampant aftershocks of energy in the arena and secretly lamented their misfortune.

They originally thought they were just there to keep things quiet and watch a normal sparring match, but the ancient demon not only provoked them, but also used forbidden techniques after being suppressed, resulting in this situation. In the end, the three of them became the ones who suffered the most. It's truly a tragedy.

"Gu Qian, Gu Xu, hurry up and provide support!"

The white-haired old man named Gu Shan stared at the cracks spreading across the light barrier, a deep solemnity crossing his face. His low voice, imbued with fighting spirit, clearly reached the ears of the other two.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qian and Gu Xu dared not delay for a moment and responded in unison.

His figure immediately soared into the air, and the vast battle qi within his body surged out without reservation, pouring into the precarious battle qi shield.

With the addition of two powerful battle energies, the violent fluctuations on the light shield gradually subsided, and the cracks that were about to collapse slowly closed, finally stabilizing again.

"Click——"

Just as the light shield finally stabilized, a faint but piercing buzzing sound suddenly came from the sky.

The onlookers were suddenly startled and subconsciously looked up. Those with sharp eyes instantly narrowed their pupils and saw that the pitch-black halo that had collided with the hundred-foot-long black finger was now being held in mid-air, showing no signs of expanding. The chaotic halo at the edge was even slowly dimming.

Judging from the stalemate, it seems that the ancient demon's "Great Annihilation Finger" has gained a slight advantage in the clash between the two Heavenly Rank combat techniques! (End of this chapter)